Ah, I misread that. Well then maybe that package is plenty if not a little heavy. But Matz could serve as a playoff opener going 2 innings.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/astros-trade-rumors-left-handed-bat.html MLBTR article on Dana Brown’s comments about adding a lefty bat. Names mentioned in the article are Brendan Donovan*, Willi Castro*, and Brandon Lowe*. Names mentioned in the comments: Mickey Moniak Jesus Sanchez* Wilyer Abreu* Jarren Duran Benintendi Arraez Conforto Willie Calhoun Gorman* Naylor Larnach* O’Hearn* Verdugo Pavin Smith* I asterisked the guys I think Houston might actually have interest in. I was surprised nobody mentioned Gavin Lux or Jake Cronenworth.
Hear me out here... What if instead of getting a LHH we got another RHH that killed lefties and made a strength a strength? 4D chess. Then we could make it where we never see a LHP again and the guys could get all the practice against RHP. Then, we get Yordan back and he becomes a 1 man wrecking crew. Looking at that list of available LHH makes me more or less want to cry. We should have signed Soto in the last offseason...
It’s slim pickings. The only guys who were free agents that might’ve been in Houston’s wheelhouse who have hit well this season are Mike Tauchman and Jorge Polanco. I lobbied for Conforto and he’s been a bust.
Winker was the obvious call and my #1 (note- for a year I've been banging the table for Paredes, Walker and Winker to basically fix all the Astros ills- 1 good, 1 bad and 1 that didn't get done. I don't know how hurt Winker is- he hasn't been as good against RHP as he has been in the past- but he could have hung out in our mash unit I guess- when he has played he's been just fine and would represent an offensive upgrade). Yeah- I'd have done Conforto 2 years ago and maybe last offseason as well- but that would have been a miss.
Willi Castro is actually a pretty solid fit if the Twins keep losing. I think the Twins dropping out of the race is much more likely than the Cards at this point. I can't see the Rays trading Lowe - I know they have made similar type moves in the past but usually it's when they realistically didn't have a shot at winning. With the AL looking the way it is, IMO the Rays will be a threat to make it out of the AL.
I think Dana will be interested in any of those guys if their team will return a phone call (asterixis or not).
Yes I think Castro is a really good fit. My current top 5 targets: Gavin Lux Willi Castro Nolan Gorman Pavin Smith Brandon Lowe I think O’Hearn and Donovan will be too expensive. No one else from that list really has much appeal to me. If Lowe isn’t traded at the deadline then he could be a prime target for Houston this offseason if they don’t acquire a multi-year solution next month.
He’s been below average, not necessarily bad. But his expected numbers are about average or maybe slightly above average. Hes posted the best contact and swstr %s of his career. Just had some bad luck. Exit velo is there. So there’s a path to see him as underrated. But it may be mostly related to the overall market and the perceived cost of Gorman vs other options.
I wanted to try and trade for Castro this summer, thought he was a great fit for what we needed (LH/IF-OF/leadoff). Looks like Pena took care of the leadoff part though. As for the Rays trading Lowe, never under estimate what a team that is for sale will do.
What about (if our guys are healthy) Gordon and Gusto for O’Hearn. That’s 12 years of mlb average pitching for Baltimore at minimum wage for a guy in his walk year. Can they do better than that? Doesn’t 2 minimum wage average guys fix a lot of problems for them to compete next year and set a pretty high floor? On a team that will absolutely be trying to “win now!”
I think that’s a pretty big overpay by Houston but that may be what it takes. I would not want Houston to make that trade.
If everyone in our org is healthy (I know, I know) those guys are pretty irrelevant. Is one of those guys by themselves enough to make a deal like that happen?
I think something like Gordon and one prospect like Knorr or Whitcomb would be enough and I’d probably be ok with that trade, although I wouldn’t really be overjoyed about it. Gordon and Gusto are pitching really well. They’re throwing like pitchers that get paid $8M-$15M/yr in free agency. If Gordon keeps up his performance he is more like a guy who gets $12M-$20M on the open market. I don’t really think he will, so I’d be ok trading him. Just because guys are temporarily superfluous doesn’t mean you slap a big discount on them.
