2025 Hypothetical Astros Trades Thread

I also want to add a couple of things. Personally, as a diehard fan which probably represents around 5% or less of the people who show up for games, I wouldn't be opposed to a salary cap of some sort, to try and level the playing field a bit...But I don't think things are as dire as some seem to, and I don't think a Cap would change much. No idea where a cap would even be set at, but consider this

I think some of the view is a bit skewed because we happen to be at a time where the past two championships have been won by the top paying team, but that's far from the norm

Before the past two years, the Rangers won in 23 and their deadline trades led them to be the last of the tax payers.

Before that only 2 of 10 teams that won it all payed the tax. In no world are they going to set a hard cap at a level lower than the base tax level

 

The Dodgers have taken the deep pocket advantage to a new high. If the league doesn’t take care of it now, they will continue to dominate since they seem to have no limit in how much they are willing to spend. We need both a salary cap and salary floor. Teams that are in this just for profit like Pittsburgh have to make an effort to be competitive or be re-located. Great run teams like the Astros are only able to obtain leftovers and will be relegated to mediocrity. Even hard-core fans like me are starting to re-consider whether baseball is worth the 162 game grind when there is a pre-determined outcome.

 

The problem is perception with casual to semi hard fans.

NFL
NBA
NHL

All have caps for competitive balancing.

 

And yet the Dodgers are the first repeat champion in MLB in 25 years

In the NFL the Chiefs just went back to back (23/24) and also won in 20, so 3 out of 5 years. No one has done that in MLB since the Yankees 98-2000
NE also have gone back to back in that time and also had a run of 3 Championships in 4 years and a separate run of 3 in 5

In the NBA in that time period Golden State went back to back in 17/18 after winning in 15 also for a 3 out of 4, Miami went back to back in 12/13, Lakers went back to back in 9/10 as well as 2000/01/02 run of three in a row. There was a 12 year stretch in there where 11 of the 12 years the team coming out of the West was either the Spurs or Lakers every year, and Golden State had a run of 5 straight appearances in the finals

I won't pretend to know anything about the NHL

So i'm not so sure those caps for competitive balancing have done such a great job

 

Look at the LAD, NYM, NYY, whoever in the top-5 regularly (throw them out, throw the bottom 5ish out too). Then look at the averages.

It's not a level playing field. Everyone knows it.

 

And nobody ever even considers that those teams pay the most for coaches and all employees so always get the best employees.

And can afford every piece of information and technology money can buy too.

 

"Nobody ever even considers..."

What a weird argument.

 

Sure it isn’t level, it’s teams owned by different people with different visions of what to do

My point is the leagues with Salary Caps don’t all of the sudden have parity, in fact the two major leagues other than baseball have had WAY fewer teams winning titles than baseball

So now yall want baseball to miss up to a full season so we can have that model in baseball too, because it will give the Astros a chance to finally compete with the mighty Dodgers?

Mmmk

 

Red Sox get: Hunter Brown, Walker, Sanchez
Astros get: Bello, Tolle, Early, Anthony

Would potentially set our rotation up for the next 6-7 years

FYI: I don’t really want to do this, just want to get the thread back to trade ideas and away from CBA. This was the wrong thread for that talk anyway, and I think I’m the only one who expects a 2027 season and won’t be ok with them skipping it to figure out how to divy up Trillions of dollars

 

Right, this was exactly my point

MMMBop

 

I can only talk about myself, but I never said anything about wanting to miss any baseball.

Actually. I never said anything about wanting a salary cap and don't necessarily want one. What I want is rules that even the playing field for all teams, or at least narrow the gap as much as possible.

Any mention I have made is about EXPECTIING which is much different than WANTING.

 

No worries: your fanciful trade idea has as much chance of happening as my bullshit salary cap/floor idea!

I'm out, yall carry on with the rando trades, maybe someday one will happen

 

My immediate reaction is YES !!!!

But Anthony just signed an 8 yr / $130M extension for ages 21-28 + a team option for his age 29 season.

He just had 2.7 fWAR in 1/2 a season as a 20 year old.

Even if he just averages 3 WAR per year he has over $100M in surplus value.

Brown, Walker, and Sanchez for Anthony alone is a terrible deal for Boston much less adding 3 other players.

 

What about Bryan Reynolds for Christian Walker?

It would save about $5M in 2026 and 2027 while adding $15M 2028-2030.

For Pittsburgh they are very very LH heavy and both projected 1B are LH and better at DH.

It goes without saying that it would be kicking the can down the road but it is interesting now.

He is 4 years younger than Christian.

He is a switch hitter who is historically slightly better vs RH pitching but playable in both corner OF spots vs both while also able to play CF in a pinch.

It would clear out the 1B playing time jumble and add a better defender and more dependable hitter able to play vs LHP too, but is he enough better than Sanchez for it to be worth the problems in 2028-2030?

It would also allow the Astros to trade Sanchez for a backup catcher or lottery ticket, saving $6-7M. Dezenzo would likely make the team as Paredes backup.

Pirates also could be on Walker's no trade list.