Because other teams want the best defensive CF and base stealer in the game. He will also be a FA after next season, and Boras is his agent.
The biggest points for trading Bourn right now is that he plays a position that has arguably the most depth in the system AND there's a Bourn-lite (Bourgeois) who tore it up before he got injured. Hunter is irreplaceable in the context of this year's team, Bourn is not. I really do like both of them, but if the new management make sound "baseball" decisions I'd understand.
Love Bourn for his speed, defense and attitude BUT a leadoff hitter's biggest job is to get on base and his OBP is .343...that's not good. His biggest issue is drawing walks, he doesn't. I think the guy makes good contact, although strikes out way to much, but if you don't draw walks as a leadoff guy then you need to make contact at an elite level...see Ichiro prior to this season.
Bourn drews his fair share of walks. Keep in mind most lead off hitters are not high walk guys. His OBP is decent but not terrible. His problem is his BA is low so thats why his OBP isn't as high. He does strikeout a lot though. Ichiro Suzuki walks at a even lesser rate than Bourn but his BA is always high other than this year. Same thing with guys like Rickie Weeks and Andrew McCutchen who draw walks at a slightly higher rate than Bourn.
begging to differ: nothing on a complete POS team is "irreplaceable". What, is Pence keeping us from going over the edge to 105 losses versus 95 losses? Big whoop. Build, build, build. Pence is coming into his expensive years, and the cost will outweigh the return for a team that isn't yet competitive enough to pay big money for a second-tier player.
Pretty much spot on. Pence has blossomed this season and has become a VERY nice player but reality is he should be the 3rd or 4th best guy on a team. He is about to be a 10 million a year player and on a team on pace to lose 100 games...there should be NO 10 million a year players. Bottom line...Stros could give the system another much needed shot in the arm by trading Pence, Wandy, Myers and even Keppinger to contenders. Sadly, Stros are at the stage where they have to build this way and also drafting wisely.
If they did a deal like the one Rosenthal mentions, you'd have your replacement right there. Even if you didn't get a ML ready OF back for Pence, we do have JD Martinez.
That's not what I said. I never said Pence was untradeable. I said the Astros don't have a ready replacement for him like they do Bourn. Trade Bourn and Bourgeois steps in immediately and gives you at least 70% of what Bourn gives you. Trade Pence and you fill the outfield spot with whom? Pence is the best middle-of-the-order hitter AND corner outfielder we have. Trade him and the entire team lineup changes. JD Martinez is not even major league ready much less replacing our best player. That's why Wade will HAVE to be overwhelmed to trade Pence. The Stros are in a much better position to trade Bourn than Pence. Pence will command nothing short of two near-ready high ceiling prospects and maybe one or two lower level prospects.
Maybe it's just me, but who cares? We're not fighting for the playoffs, so having a Pence replacement doesn't exactly rank high on my list. It'd be nice if we had someone who could take over, but I wouldn't pass on a great prospect because we don't have someone available immediately.
Ah, I catch your drift now. Sorry for misunderstanding. Still, even with no solid replacement, if good enough pieces are offered that put some value and talent in our system, I feel you have to do it. Again, having him at corner OF and in our lineup hasn't yet spared us from a 100-loss pace. My point is, the season is garbage anyway. Throw a AAAA OF in there if some organization offers us a good package of young talent in exchange for Pence. Now is the time to collect as many young chips as possible, not hoard expensive pieces.
This club is on pace for 100 loses and the #2 pick next season...losing Pence and replacing him with Jason B., Brandon Barnes or J.B. Shuck won't kill the squad. If the Phillies really do trade Dom Brown for him, then you have your replacement but even if they give us Singleton and Cosert, that is a nice package for a guy like Pence. Barnes isn't a prospect but while the guy hasn't hit for a high average at AAA (.238) he has shown excellent power throughout the system and good plate discipline. He could be a nice stop gap for now. J.B. Shuck would also be a decent option, although he is more of a CF. Shuck has no power but gets on base, steals bags and plays good defense. I see him more of a replacement for Bourn, if he gets dealt.
We said good-bye to Roy Freaking Oswalt and Lance Berkman; I'm certainly not going to shed a tear over Hunter Pence or Michael Bourn. Build this thing. Stockpile talent like Tampa has done and is still doing.
Agreed. He's not untouchable. Though, it would HAVE to be a replacement bat for Pence. No way Wade could get away trading for just a pitcher. We just don't have any other middle-of-the-order bats close to ready. The lineup will be god awful terrible for few seasons until a replacement bat for hunter is found. I was sad when we traded those guys and I'll be sad when we trade Pence and/or Bourn. Pence is a Texas-native who we drafted and who came up though our system. He's a fun player to watch (mostly for his awkwardness). Bourn is a Houston-native and UH alum who developed into an all-star (however questionable a selection) since he's been with us. Both give it their all every game. It sucks they're potentially being traded away from their home team because the front office is inept. Roy and Lance you could tell weren't giving it their all in their final seasons in Houston. They put in their time and we gave them the opportunity to win a ring somewhere else. Plus both were arguably past their prime. Bourn and Pence are both in the middle of theirs.
Erroneous, Hunter is producing more than Lance was when he was traded. Hunter's 2010 WAR: 3.3 Berkman's 2010 WAR: 2.1 Puma is clearly the better career player, but at those two points in their respective Houston careers Hunter contributed more to this team. That makes it sad we can't keep him.
It's erroneous because no one is questioning Roy or Lance's primes. We didn't trade them in their prime therefore that doesn't matter.
Oswalt and Berkman still look in their prime. Berkman though, has come back to earth over the past month, but still the overall numbers are great. Oswalt had arguably his best season last year, and is having another solid year so far.
I'm sorry; that is precisely what I intended. Over their most important bodies of work, Pence and Bourn will not compare to Berkman or Oswalt. Not in the least. That is what I meant from the beginning. And no, that is not "erroneous." It seems you are addressing this year, right here, right now; I was (in that one comment) addressing the players' whole bodies of work. Again: it wasn't hard for me to say good-bye to Oswalt and Berkman; it certainly won't be hard to say good-bye to Bourn and Pence. Even if we *don't* get the pleasure of watching a classic 6-hitter bat 3rd every day.
Whatever dude. It's not Hunter's fault he's the best player on a crappy team. If you don't wanna appreciate people that's your business.
