2025 Hypothetical Astros Trades Thread

Yeah; it's really hard to extract anything from that trade, comparison-wise - Scherzer was 36 & Turner was 28 and under club-control for at least one more, maybe 2 seasons (I can't remember). He was the most valuable piece of that trade.

But I agree the Framber return will be substantial - probably different as I suspect the Astros will lean less towards deeper, younger prospects and more toward MLB-ready players. It's likely a lost year if they're dealing Framber - but the idea they could compete again next year is not unreasonable, and they'll want to build around Smith, Yordan, Paredes, Hunter, Arrighetti....

BTW, the really interesting trade chip - if they fall out of it - could be Hader. I suspect Abreu might be on the table for the right deal, too - he'd be a HUGE asset.

 

Yusei is not really a fair evaluation comp - you could easily win a Framber trade if the idea is that you receive a replacement pitcher who will go 5-1, 2.70 ERA, .933 WHIP down the stretch. If you could guarantee that, you take it. But that's not a realistic outcome for "underrated rental SP".

I do think it's possible that we're ready to punt the season by the All-Star break, if the offense doesn't produce. In which case, go ahead and trade him. But a rotation with Hunter Brown and several question marks isn't postseason competitive. Not without an elite lineup.

 

If you could get a Cam Smith level prospect at 2B (or 3B) that had an ETA of 2026 I'd do that as long as I got 2 other arms that the pitching guys were interested in. Not top level prospects on that but at least lotto ticket level stuff.

 

So which is it?

He does not remember the Kikuchi deal?

He thinks Framber is a waste of hair?

He thinks a comp pick is amazingly good?

Gotta be one of the 3.

 

It's absolutely nuts to me. I think it's all of the above. I showed him the return for the best pitcher at the deadline the last 5 or 6 years and Framber is better than all but Scherzer who got a big return. I said it would slot somewhere between Scherzer and say- Kikuchi or Jordan Montgomery or Flehrty or the like. But just obstinately argues nobody would possibly give anything of value for Framber.
It's weird how much our fans underrate Framber. He's the only guy to get cy young votes 4 of the last 5 years (maybe Cole), he's 2nd or 3rd in ERA plus to Cole in the AL, he throws a ton of innings and he was freaking awesome in the 2020 and 2022 playoffs, bad in 23 and 24 playoffs, overall pretty average. But Astros fans act like that kind of guy grows on trees. If he was doing it for another team they'd all call him an ace.

 

That is crazy.

FWIW: I think Framber is among the 10 most valuable SP in the AL. Depending on your criteria, he absolutely is among the best.

I think his consistency ( along with durability) is one of his most valuable characteristics. Ironically, I think many fans think he is NOT consistent and use that as an argument for him NOT being good.

Those fans don't pay attention.

 

Baltimore is 2-8 in their past 10 games and have a -70 run differential on the season. That seems like a hole that is going to be too far to climb out of in the AL East. Mullins, Mountcastle, and O’Hearn will likely be available. I don’t see them trading any of their young position players unless it’s for a pitcher with multiple years of control. Doesn’t really make sense for the Orioles to make a trade like that until the offseason since their playoff chances are fading by the day.

 

I was hoping they’d be good and give us good stuff for Framber but that might work too if they sell off some guys.

 

This probably amazes me more than anything else on this forum. Framber is THE most consistent SP in baseball and so many Astros fans don't realize it. I personally think it all stems from his melt down at arlington when Maldy wouldn't go talk to him, no coach came out, dusty didn't come out, just left him out there. Ever since then NO MATTER what happens, when he doesn't throw well everyone says "mental" "mental"

Here is a list of pitchers who have thrown MORE INNINGS with a better ERA than Framber for the past 4 years

This year (2025)
Z Wheeler, M Fried, S Lugo, Crochet (tied in innings)

2024
Sale, Skubal, Wheeler

2023
Cole, Webb

2022
Alcantara

Wheeler is the only one on there twice and once is the less than two month sample from this year

Framber has thrown more quality innings than any pitcher in baseball over the past 3+ years. Period

 

I absolutely agree with your opinion of Framber.

However I do not agree with your opinion of the posts/posters on this forum.

Winning this year is not the only thing that matters or the only thing Crane and Brown are considering.

It needs to be a balance.

Sometimes sacrificing a % of the chances of winning this year in order to improve those chances next year is smart.

Sometimes it isn't. But being single-minded and not considering it is absolutely not.

There are very valid reasons that both options are viable.

 

Mullins "balances" the lineup by standing in the left hand side, but Jake has 100 points of OPS on him this year vs RHP

Other than having a better arm, i'm not sure how much Mullins really improves us this year and he is a rental. Neither Jake nor Mullins are good enough hitters to be a true value in a corner outfield spot

Trade is probably pretty even for both sides though cause Westburg is a stud

 

Framber has unquestionably been an ace. I am unclear what point you are trying to make. He occasionally breaks down for whatever reason and looks bad. It happens to every pitcher once in a while. How fans react varies from player to player and from organization to organization, but their reactions are only meaningful to themselves.

 

You must not pay attention to the game threads when he pitches

I'm not talking about guys like you and Snake who obviously understand his value

Just go through the game threads when he pitches, hell even the opening of a series he will throw in usually has something about losing the game Framber throws because he is mental or some ****, it's crazy

As to the rest of your post, I agree it isn't the ONLY thing that matters, but our chances of actually making the playoffs take a big hit if he is traded. It's not just the quality of his innings, it's the quantity also. He saves so many outings from the pen. Dude is a legit Stud Ace

 

I agree he is a stud.

And as the rotation sits right now, they would be stupid to trade him.

This team is competing and not only is he unquestionably one of the 2 best SP, but the guys behind him all have questions.

There is a path that makes sense to trade him but its unlikely to pan out, and even if it does they are not likely to trade him.

But:

1) Only 4 SP are used in the playoffs. IF. IF. IF. IF. Hunter Brown, Lance McCullers Jr, Cristian Javier, and Spencer Arrighetti all match their career best stretch of pitching leading up to the postseason then substituting Framber for one of them is only a small upgrade.

Whatever return the Astros get is probably better than that upgrade.

2) There would also need to be at least 2-3 guys from Blanco, Garcia, Wesneski, Gordon, Blubaugh, Ullola, and France that can fill out the back of the rotation and cover innings to keep those guys from getting worn down.

3) The bullpen is loaded. Dominant at the top and very deep in talent and potential.

Since most teams only use 9-10 pitchers in the playoffs, this team likely won't need to Fill out the staff with starters, making losing Framber even likely to be a major loss.

As I said - VERY VERY unlikely, but not impossible.

 

I don't think Javier is going to return far enough ahead of the trade deadline to be able to make the call that he is ready to replace Framber in the postseason rotation. And honestly he hasn't been very good since 2022. 2023 and his truncated 2024 were rough.

I think the most likely Framber trade scenario involves the Astros basically out of the playoff picture by the deadline, making them sellers. I'm hoping that we don't see that happen.

 

Agree

One problem with that though is by the time we had a decent idea of what we could possibly get from Javier/Garcia, the trade deadline will have likely passed.

I wonder if Ullola will be brought up sometime in June, even if it is to throw out of the pen for a bit, just to see if it looks like he can handle MLB hitting

 

I agree Unless our pitching guys targets someone like they did with Kikuchi last year, and convinces Brown they can get a GREAT 1/3 of a season out of him. Now if we are leading the division and looking good I don't think anything would happen, but if we are still in contention but also still just kind of muddling around from series to series a bit over .500, I could see Dana getting one really strong prospect along with a lesser pitcher that our guys are really on to for Framber. i think that is very unlikely, but think it's the most possible trade scenario involving Framber

 

If he comes up, I think its as a starter.

I don't see any question that he has the stuff to get MLB hitters out and with Miller/Murphy prepping him and Diaz/Caratini calling pitches that won't be an issue either.

It will all be about command.

Unless its as a mop up guy, you can't have questionable command in the bullpen. And the mop up role won't really answer many questiins.