One shot one kill trade: Astros get: LF Ryan O’Hearn CF Cedric Mullins SP Charlie F’n Morton $10M Orioles get: CF Jake Meyers P Colton Gordon P AJ Blubaugh Playoff roster: SS Pena 3B Paredes DH Alvarez 2B Altuve LF O’Hearn RF Smith CF Mullins 1B Walker C Diaz Bench: Dubon, Caratini, McCormick, Salazar SP: Brown, Framber, McCullers, Morton RP: Hader, Abreu, King, Okert, Sousa, Javier, Garcia, Arrighetti, Gusto Orioles get a really good CF for 2 years to replace Mullins; that works for them as they will expect to contend next year. They also get 2 long term BoR SP to aid their depth after they lose so many this year. Astros add 2 lefty bats and a veteran SP without going over the tax and without giving up any of their top prospects.
Mullins is hitting .190 against RHP this season. Morton has been pitching well lately but his value is very low considering his contract - I wouldn't give up Meyers in this deal.
I don't see the Orioles using their 3 best trade chips this way. They can get at least 2 players for each of them if traded individually. This feels like a very gery weak return for them, especially paying $10M I can not imagine teams lining up to beat this deal. This deal adds just over $6M. Available per: Cots Contracts: $3.75M Spotrac: $2.36M Fangraphs (don't use decimals) $5M These are all estimates which is why they vary. I know you have stated in the past you think they have about $10M. I would be interested in any information you use to give me more hope. I think above everything else, including improving the team, staying under the CBT is priority 1.
I don't mind trading Jake for this as he's fools gold right now. He'll never put it all together to have a 20 HR/80 RBI season (but may hit around .260 and up going forward). If another team is willing to overpay with a really good CFer then do it now or at the end of the season may be better. I like Meyers, but like Chas two seasons ago you have to trade them when they're hot to get a return.
Looking at Freddy Peralta, came up with this: Astros get: SP Freddy Peralta OF Jake Bauers Brewers get: SP Spencer Arrighetti SP Colton Gordon SP Miguel Ullola IF/OF Shay Whitcomb I really don’t see Milwaukee trading Peralta unless they really tank over the next 3-4 weeks.
It’s like you are trying to make me have a stroke trading Arrighetti and Ullola now in the same deal. I’m not a prospect hoarder and I’m pretty much open for business on anything- but I don’t want to trade either of those guys and certainly not at the same time.
Peralta is one of the 15 best pitchers in baseball and comes with an extra year of cheap control. If he’s traded, the price will be extremely high. Houston has zero elite prospects right now. Half of their viable trade chips are currently hurt (Dezenzo, Melton, Arrighetti). If Houston is going to acquire a multi-year star player who isn’t on a huge contract, they are going to give up at least 2 of: Matthews, Melton, Ullola, Arrighetti, Janek, Dezenzo, or Gordon, and I’m not sure Janek, Dezenzo, and Gordon belong on that list. Blubaugh has pitched his value down. Brito and Alvarez are too far away. When the Astros call teams to ask about trading for their star player, who do you think they’re going to demand in return?
Maybe? It could also just be a continuation of what the Astros have done in the past with targeting guys like Verlander, Cole, Greinke. My personal view is that the Astros have started to view starting pitching as extremely important but very fungible, and that there are going to be some guys that fall by the wayside that are very good, and you better have as many good arms as possible. The Braves and Dodgers have had a lot of very successful pitchers come up through their systems and in trades the last half 7-8 years, and most of them are gone - either injured, slumped or signed elsewhere.
I would begrudgingly trade Ulolla in a deal for a difference making bat. Wonder what it would cost for Ozuna and Lux in separate trades? The Ozuna trade is the type of trade I would include Ullola in. Not so much a Lux trade. Tell me what you think of this trade? Ulolla/Blubaugh/Garcia/Whitcomb for Henderson or Mayo.
Brewers get Framber Valdez, Ace, ½ season left Brice Mathews, infielder 2nd, SS, 3rd , #1 prospect with a full career ahead of him Miguel Ullola, starting pitcher, #4 prospect with a full career ahead of him Astros get Freddy Peralta, #1 starting pitcher,1 ½ seasons left price reasonable, wants an extension Brice Turang, starting 2nd baseman, 4 ½ seasons left Eric Bitonti, 1st/3rd base, #10 prospect, A ball with a full career ahead of him, fills a projected need at two positions
Very off the wall trade that would never happen but I think it’s a roughly fair deal and might actually help both teams.
I’m not saying your valuation is off, just that I don’t want to trade SA or Ullola. I think that’s 10 years of well above average cheap pitching. I just wouldn’t do it. I think SA is gonna be an all star type and Ullola could be anything from an Ace to a closer (that would make me sad) to nothing. I want to take that ride.
That’s the Ullola trade I’d do. That’s pretty interesting in that you could fill out all of Baltimore’s non elite arms for low money and they could go Ace in the offseason (sign Framber). You could have 4 Astros in their starting rotation next year.
Is there a team out there that desperately needs a lefty in the pen? I love how dominant our pen has been, but if there is an opportunity to turn Okert or Sousa into legit prospect or part of a package for a LHB that we need, I’d be tempted. I mean we have to get at least one or two SP arms back among Arrighetti, Javier, McCullers and Garcia (knocks on wood).
Part of the appeal of Castro is he is a rental and not an elite player so he should come cheap: Astros get: IF/OF Willi Castro Twins get: IF/OF Shay Whitcomb P Alex Santos II Garcia is only 25 and controlled thru 2027 so he would be more expensive: Astros get: 2B Luis Garcia Jr. Nats get: P AJ Blubaugh OF/IF Zach Dezenzo P Ryan Gusto 1B/OF Luis Baez
