The Astros made efforts to extend Paredes when they traded for him. They even floated tacking on a year or two. A lot of fans forget that the Astros made a strong push to get Paredes last season as well - he has been a target for a while.
My guess is Tampa didn’t want to trade Paredes to an AL team, at least not without a premium on the price. It’s a bummer Paredes didn’t bite on an extension, that would have been big for the Astros.
I'm for keeping as much pitching as possible. But if it means ruining the lineup in 2027 then lets hope this new wave of pitchers can come through for the team. Hopefully Walter/Brito/Forcuzzi (SP?) Javier can be the next wave of great pitching. Problem is other than Brito I dont see a possible SP1 in the bunch. Hopefully the next draft will bring a SP1.
The health of their current big league SP is a huge variable looking out over the next few seasons. McCullers, Garcia, and Javier could each post $15M-30M in value per season if they’re healthy. Arrighetti, Wesneski, and Blanco the same. Those are 6 guys with significant questions on their value. Theres a world where Brown, McCullers, Arrighetti, Javier, and Garcia make up one of the best rotations in the league next season. Ullola, Brito, Pecko, Mayer, and Forcucci are guys I see as having some possibility of being playoff-caliber SP, and they all (except Forcucci) should be in the majors by 2027. We’ll see as it’s nigh impossible to predict outcomes of pitching prospects. But I have a lot of faith in the Astros coaches and scouts.
I was assuming we don’t have the juice for Sale or Albies. But can’t hurt to ask. I guess Sale could be a free agent next year - so a rental. if they are five games under going into the break. I mean, they could be ripe for the taking. Not quite in Antilopolos playbook - but will they have a choice?
Brito definitely has an SP1 ceiling Whether or not he ever reaches it obviously we won't know for a while. Even guys out there like Painter and Burns and Sykora, that all the rankings experts see as sure fire top of the rotation guys...you don't know till they get there and do it But from an upside standpoint, I think Brito definitely has a high ceiling
Astros get: SP Chris Sale RP Aaron Bummer 2B Ozzie Albies Braves get: SP Spencer Arrighetti 2B Brice Matthews OF Zach Dezenzo P Miguel Ullola P Alimber Santa 1B Luis Baez Playoff roster: SS Pena 3B Paredes DH Alvarez LF Altuve C Diaz RF Smith 1B Walker 2B Albies CF Meyers Bench: Dubon, Caratini, Melton, Salazar SP: Brown, Framber, Sale, McCullers RP: Hader, Abreu, Bummer, King, Okert, Sousa, Javier, Dubin, Garcia A few things make this really unrealistic: Atlanta isn’t trading Albies as he’s a fan favorite. They won’t trade those 3 players together without getting a major (MLB Top 10-15) prospect back in return. And there’s no way Houston makes that trade without going over the CBT threshold(s). But it would be a damn good roster.
Would love to have Sale, and our FO has shown interest in him before Albies may be more name than his baseball value now though, hasn't been really good at the plate since 23
Ullola and Arrighetti seem like a high price to me, especially with Sales recent injury history. Albies would be a great get although it’s another RH bat.
Yes, even just adding Sale would be huge. That would be a nuts on the table 2017 Verlander type of move. Hard to believe they’d be underdogs in any postseason series with Framber-Brown-Sale lined up to start Games 1-3 and that monster bullpen behind them.
It would be an all in move for this year and it would be extremely exciting. I’d be real nervous about next year’s pitching. I don’t trust McCullers or Sale to put together 2 straight injury free seasons.
Albies is a switch hitter. The only issue is he's a much better career hitter from the right side against LHP which doesn't fit our need.
