They aren't planning on trading Framber/Tucker unless they absolutely cannot get anything done on the market and through trade to improve the team and someone pays a Kings ransom. Brown answered the question - and it was honest, but the media is running with it. I am sure if the Red Sox or Yankees offered their 3 best prospects for Tucker the Astros would sit down and consider it - but that really just isn't going to happen. I will admit I personally would be curious to know the long term outcome with Brown as GM with the Astros dealing all of their veterans, and then using the money saved to extend Brown, Arrighetti, Diaz and a few on the farm..... and let Brown pour the remaining money into the system and see what happens.
No - not that he thinks he CAN get enough, but that the only way he would move them is IF he gets enough.... which is a huge ask, but it is part of his job to investigate.
Tucker is the Shawn Green of his generation. Really talented and very good - never causes any problems off the field - but not likely to be playing past 35.
If they truly are going to move on from Tucker and Framber, I can certainly get on board with this. Problem is Crane needs to let Dana run the show and I doubt that happens again.
This feels like THE BEST time to trade Tucker (Soto's ridiculous deal increased Tucker's value tenfold). I feel like a big market team that missed out on Soto very well might be willing to overpay for a really good player in Tucker. Ask for a team's top 2 prospects, plus another 2 in their top 10 (that we also really) like, and make it a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. We don't have to trade Tucker at all, name the price, and make it clear that they will have to meet our requests. Boston, New York, and Toronto have the prospect talent that they can trade from. Will they meet our asking price?
The Soto trade from last year would be the comp. Padres got Michael King, who ended up being really good, and Drew Thorpe, a top 100 pitching prospect, plus a 3rd tier RP prospect and another throw-in. Soto was a better player and the Padres also sent Grisham, but they also got Higashioka. Basically, if Houston trades Tucker they should shoot for 2 elite (MLB Top 75) prospects plus a high-ceiling throw-in. If they trade him to an AL team, they should demand a premium beyond that.
Insert pic of Maldonado here Kidding, that's totally fair. Tucker is a really good player, and I'm not arguing that.
The Astros have some major $ coming off the books after '25 + '26. '25 Abreu 19.5 mil Montero 11.5 Pressly 14 Tucker 16.7 (projected arb) Framber 20 (projected arb) Caratini 6 Total 87.7 '26 McCullers 17.7 Greinke 12.5 (deferred) Chas 5 (projected arb) Garcia 4 (projected arb) B. Abreu 5 (projected arb) Total 44.2 Total ('25+'26) 131.9 mil Core of (Altuve + Yordan + Diaz + Pena) Rotation (Brown + Blanco + Arrighetti + Javier) Pen (Hader) Major decisions coming up and numerous holes to fill.
I agree if you're moving both of those two for prospects you may as well blow it up and restart. But I don't think Crane has the stomach for a tear down like that and honestly, it would be a big letdown given the talent still on this team. This isn't the sad 2011 roster that Lunhow broke down and built back.
Tucker is a good player that won a World Series with the Astros. He deserves another chance to win one more with the Astros. Altuve has more than earned that the Astros don't kick the can down the road because some fans don't care about one of his best World Series winning teammates. Granted, I think the Astros are getting older/more expensive, and the farm isn't healthy enough to replace all that lost value for much longer. If the Astros are looking cooked by the deadline, trade him then. One more shot at a World Series with Tucker is worth a lot more to me than the prospect difference between trading him now and at the deadline if that shot does not pan out.
Carlos Correa is an interesting name..... he has 4 years guaranteed, makes 37 in 2025, 32 in 2026 and 31 in 27 and 30 in 28..... that is still "real money", but the length is more palatable for a 30 year old.... and he has proven to be productive while he has played. The Astros could theoretically let him play SS and trade Pena for good value or move him to 3rd base and see if he is healthier. Assuming Bregman gets a huge offer from somewhere else - that leaves guys like Walker from Arizona, Arenado in St. Louis and Bellinger from Chicago. How do you weigh Correa in that discussion? He is younger than Arenado, and probably will hit better if healthy. I don't know the situation in Minnesota, as to whether they would take back an Astros contract or give a useful player if we took Correa.
As much as I would loathe to see Tucker in a Yankees jersey, this feels like an opportunity to really squeeze the talent in their farm system dry. They're going to be desperate to replace Soto after making it to the World Series and bombing. And if they strike out on Bregman and any other top tier talent, that puts them in a very vulnerable position. And given that it's the Yankees and we really shouldn't be dealing with them in the first place as a rival, maybe that allows the front office to push for more from them than what other teams are offering. I could see a scenario where Tucker is wearing Yankee pinstripes, but the Astros are the clear winner in the long-term.
