Imagine looking a year or two ahead with what free agent position would be saturated and then trade for players that will most likely be highly sought after instead (even if they are not needed this season). Chess
Gross... I have zero interest in Baz. If you trade with Tampa it must be an MLB proven player like Rasmussen. The Rays are one of the best organizations at developing pitchers. If they are quitting early on Baz they don't believe they can get more out of him. I wouldn't trade Jake Meyers for him straight up. Astros better get something significant done at the winter meetings. They are trying to send me back to the hospital with this BS off-season.
“Ahhh uhhhh I think it would be a good idea to not use my closer or set up man for multiple innings…. Errrr uhhh early in the season.” - Espada It won’t even be May before Hader punches his nose into his skull…. Abreu purposely has a meltdown to make sure Dana keeps Joe from using him multiple innings… or one of Ryan Pressly’s drunk relatives has flashbacks and stabs Espada on the field like that hooligan Nazi did Monica Seles years ago.
A lot of people don’t want to hear it - but Brady Singer makes a lot of sense for the Astros. He can slot in as a #3 starter, will make 30 starts and likely pitch 175 innings… with an era between 3.50 and 4.20… there is a real value in the innings, health and consistency that he would bring to the middle of the rotation. The Reds have a centerfielder but they have discussed moving Singer for some time.
I thought it was pretty clear Altuve would play mostly second if the Astros didn’t add a starter level player there. Altuve isn’t a good defensive second baseman because of his range, but he isn’t awful and will greatly benefit from having three literal Gold Glove level defenders on the infield next to him. An infield rotation of Correa, Pena, Altuve, Walker and Paredes is elite IMO. The problem is the outfield. It’s seems very likely at least two of the three spots will have new starters. Meyers will be dealt and Melton/Cole/Matthews will get a lot of PT in CF.
Yeah, if they play Altuve in LF and Cole in CF, do they start Cam in RF, or send him to the minors, or trade him in a package for a SP2?
I don’t think Altuve is in the OF unless the Astros get a second baseman. Cam Smith will be moved if they get a package they want. I think it’s wide open. They would like to add a plus outfielder to team with the young guys in CF but it will depend on what moves they can make.
As much as I like Cam I would move him for 2-3 yrs of Ragans. Trade for Ragans and trade for a guy like Nootbar.
From Ken Rosenthal this AM: Free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman still appears to be the Red Sox’s No. 1 target, in part because of the defensive upgrade he provided over Rafael Devers. The Sox seem to be pricing every available option, from first baseman Pete Alonso and infielder Bo Bichette in free agency to Marte and Houston Astros corner infielder Isaac Paredes in trades. Paredes, who is under club control for two more seasons with a projected $9.3 million salary in 2026, is yet another hitter in whom the Red Sox have expressed interest, according to sources briefed on their discussions. He presumably would play first base for the Sox if Bregman returned at third, and the price for him likely would be steep. The Astros, seeking controllable starting pitchers, are interested in one of the Red Sox’s two young lefties, Payton Tolle or Connelly Early. Of course, the Astros are another club operating on multiple fronts, exploring a trade for Tampa Bay Rays righty Shane Baz and offering center fielder Jake Meyers for other starters. They have spoken to the Pittsburgh Pirates about righty Mike Burrows, but those talks may have cooled since the Pirates acquired outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia from the Red Sox. The Kansas City Royals, dangling lefty Kris Bubic, are another possibility for Meyers, but they are exploring numerous other outfield possibilities as well.
Seems like everyone had a steep asking price in trades, lol. And free agents are too expensive for us.
Getting Bubic and Baz wouldn’t be the ideal outcome most of us were hoping for but it’d give them a full rotation and wouldn’t hurt the farm much. It’s also leave quite a bit of money to add an OF bat. I will be really really surprised if Houston trades Paredes to Boston. If they do, Tolle is a good target as the headliner. Tolle and Mikey Romero would be a pretty good return for Houston, and both guys could make the 2026 roster better. If Paredes were traded it would be imperative for Houston to then add another elite bat.
I'm not familiar with Romero or Tolle, but if Dana trades Parades, he can then start looking to move Cam for an elite bat
With our veteran INF, I'm actually excited about giving our young guys a chance to compete for CF. Meyers defense was great and his bat came around, but if one of those 3 can step up with the bat they all have better power, arms and speed than Jake and can make us better in the long-term. I think Cole could be our wildcard going into ST, if he can build on his finish last year I'm pretty stoked about his potential to help us. Loved his aggressiveness on the bases and his arm/power looked great. If we can cut down his strikeouts he could be special.
