That’s probably the best case in the event Chas is traded. They either flip him for a similarly down RP they think they can quickly turn around, or flip him for an underrated prospect. Replicating the Myles Straw trade would be pretty dope.
Framber Brown Blanco Verlander/Bloss/Contreras Garcia/King Arrighetti Hader Pressly Abreu Scott Dubin Montero McCullers/Martinez I really don’t see a need to augment that pitching staff unless something meaningful changes in the next 3 weeks.
Agree to disagree The AAAA label is for players who take at AAA but can’t do it at the big league level, Chas has proven he can. We do have AAAA types on the team though He also barely has over 100 at bats this year and that isn’t nearly enough to change who he is Let’s not forget all the talk early on about how Tucker and Bregman killed their trade value with their bad starts lol As for Bassett, Toronto will likely have to eat some salary or take back a Montero type to move him. He has value as an innings eater type who can go on runs where he looks like a legit mid rotation type, but it isn’t like there is more upside in that 22 million per year contract
Top 5 Astros players most likely to be traded this month: 1. Jacob Melton 2. Miguel Ullola 3. Rafael Montero 4. Forrest Whitley 5. Joey Loperfido
Rays just traded Aaron Civale to the Brewers for a prospect outside their org top 30. Pretty cheap although I’m sure the Rays will turn the prospect into an everyday big leaguer.
The recent run is encouraging, as is the Mariners' inability to score runs. The problem the Astros have at the deadline is they have two big needs: a bat at first base and a starting pitcher. I don't think they have the prospect capital to get both, and I would not agree at all with parting with Jake Meyers in order to get Vlad. So they have to choose one or the other. I would prefer they choose to focus on starting pitching, as right now we are too reliant on Spencer Arighetti and an injury to Framber, Ronel or Hunter would be absolutely fatal.
This is a perfectly reasonable point. My counterpoint is: 1) There is no reasonable solution to 1b, while JV, Garcia, and McCullers should all be returning throughout the season and several SP at AAA look like they could give innings as a #5 or #6. 2) Vlad would fill a hole for this season, but also be a big bat to deepen the lineup when Alex is gone next year. 3) While I have always been a fan of Jake, his value is maximized now, he is entering arbitration next year, and players like Loperfido, Leon, Melton, or maybe even Dubon could play CF without much drop-off. The plusses far outweigh the minuses. And getting a rental like Flaherty or Severino shouldn't cost do much that the Astros can't do both.
Guerrero Jr is unfortunately one of those players where pedigree overshadows what he actually contributed on the field. They are going to want close to a Juan Soto package but have a Christian Walker level player.
I agree that his name and the outlier 2021 season pump up his salary and perceived value. That said, he is still quite young, coming into his own, and has never had a "bad" season. He looks to have lost weight too. I think he is very likely to be a top 2-3 1b for the next several years and an MVP would not surprise me. I could also see Tucker-him- and Yordan all hitting .300 w/ 30+ HR in 2025 if he joins this team.
The good thing is that the types of teams buying at the deadline are usually smart. Teams with foolish front offices typically don’t win enough to buy. So that mitigates the prices a bit. Someone is bound to overpay, but it will be because a team is desperate for an upgrade and/or super bullish on Guerrero’s actual potential rather than just a straight overpay for his name.
