I would give Appel for Price. When you have a chance to win it you have to be willing to take risks Appel plus VV is way behind risk reward though Appel for DP, ok Feliz + Kemp for DP, ok But not two of (Appel, VV, Phillips)
I just don't understand why we have to trade for anyone or what the fascination is with making a deal. Sellers usually end up with the better end of these deals, especially if it's just a rental. Why not just stick with what's obviously working and keep all of our young talent? The team is good enough as it is to make the playoffs, if not win the division. They will soon be adding Springer and Lowrie to the roster. I don't see a need to get a bat at this point and I don't want to give up even one of these top prospects for a Price rental. Keuchel, McHugh, McCullers and Velasquez are capable of going on a hot run in the playoffs, just like Price or Cueto would be.
because a player like kemp is blocked by altuve in the majors. its not just about talent, its about talent that could be utilized
McCullers and Velasquez are expected to be monitored closely on their usage. Not sure if that will impact playoffs, but definitely something to consider. I am of the belief that you don't throw away a chance. We have a young core, but nothing is guaranteed in the future. Just ask Mark Prior, Kerry Wood and the Cubs.
Likely dumb question ahead-- If we trade for a rental, do we get a draft pick compensation from the team that signs him away in FA? What are the rules on that?
Good day for watching the trade market guys Tyson Ross David Price Scott Kazmir Jeff Samardzija All starting today.....for at least one or two of them it's likely their last or next to last start for their current teams
Cubs seem to have the most interest in Price but seem wary being 9 games out of the division giving up elite prospects for possibly just two months of Price with all the hopes seeming to be on a 1 off playoff wildcard game. Astros don't want another Leake and he is the first pitcher after heavy evaluation and scouting that they've admitted cooling off on.
I would only give up Appel for Hamels or one of the two elite SD starters Really would like too see a deal of Appel, Singleton, probably Kemp (who is blocked by Altuve and will probably end up blocked further as Bregmann rises) and some out of options prospects for an elite starter and a legit hitting, high OBP player at 1B under a few years of team control. So for that I'd pass on Price or Cueto San Diego, Philly seem like the best inquiries
Only problem is Hamels doesn't seem to want to come here. I know none of us on here truly know how he feels about it, but if all of the talk that he really doens't want to come to Houston is true, then I don't want to give up major pieces for him. Agree on the two SD guys, but personally I wouldn't hesitate to give up Appel for Price. He has made some off hand comments about the Astros, and from the outside looking in he looks like a guy who would possibly like to stay here. While I don't think evidence says if you trade for a guy he is more likely to sign with you, I would take that chance with Price if I could. A rotation of Keuchel, McCullers, Price, McCugh, VV could be lethal moving forward and if you had Price signed, all of them would be under your control for a good while.
Getting Hamels could be a mistake... already showing signs of regression and will be overpaid despite being "club controlled". If they go after a big fish, it will be a free agent to be... mainly because it won't cost them a super elite prospect (which I'm not sure they consider Appel one of those still... they possibly value Fisher, Phillips and Reed more). Rental would be ideal... cost less, help more now, and still have the possibility of re-signing them if they're a great fit (but not stuck with them if they're a bust).
As much as I hate to say it, Appel is looking like a bust. Sure, he could be a serviceable 3rd pitcher, but I jus't dont see a dominant #1 or #2. His inconsistencies cannot be ignored. Maybe y'all would know better. I would assume, like with McCullers, its more about stuff than results. Has his stuff been as inconsistent as his results indicate? I just don't think he should be considered 'untouchable', even for a rental.
Hamels' velocity hasn't decreased. His FIP, SIERA, & xFIP are just as good as they always have been. I wouldn't worry about him. He still carries the most risk though.
Price will be 30 next month. He'll demand, and likely get, a Max Scherzer type contract, which was 7 years, 210 million. Scherzer will likely earn his money this year, and maybe another year or two. But then the Nationals will be handing a guy $30 million a year to put up middling numbers (see Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia). I don't see this front office signing a guy like that, which I agree with. That being said, I wouldn't be against offering Appel for Price as a rental if the front office is thinking that Appel will never be better than a Brad Peacock level talent. There's risk, obviously, as Appel was hurt last year and no one is sure if we've seen his best stuff yet, and we certainly haven't seen him pitch in the majors yet.
By all accounts his raw stuff is still very good. Even with all of his monumental struggles for 2 years, he is still almost universally viewed as a top 50 prospect in the recent midseason rankings. There just appears to be something mentally going on there. At this point I don't view him as even a top 5 prospect for us.
Hamels is hardly showing signs of regression. His era and whip are a bit higher than past years, but his K's per inning is actually as high as it has ever been. The "stuff" is as good as it has ever been. As much as you would want a professional athlete to compete his best no matter what, when you are on a terrible team and you know you are about to be moved somewhere, it's gonna have some effect on your focus and all of the little things that go in to being one of the best. He is in a really bad situation right now and seems to be handling it well. Also, at 31 years old even if the 4th year option has to be picked up, that gets him to his mid 30's which is hardly over the hill for a guy who is on pace to start 30+ games this year for the 8th straight year. I know you think every arm has a certain number of pitches in it and that's all, and I know you don't want us to spend money on pitching, but to say Hamels is showing signs of regression simply isn't accurate. Having said that, if Hamels doesn't want to be here then I wouldn't be trying to give up prospects to "talk him into" coming here. If he wants to be elsewhere, get out of those talks and move on to others. Also, the biggest thing that none of us really know, is what Luhnows advanced stats say about all of these guys. He isn't likely going after all of the guys the media talks about being available. He is going after guys who's advanced stats say they will be better than what they are doing now. While we have access to all of those stats on the net, we don't really know which ones Luhnow and the guys value the most. It's all fun to talk to, but I would guess they have a shorter list than what is being talked about of guys they really think would be the best moving forward, and it will either be acquire one of those or we will see a smaller deal or to trying to plug gaps
