Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told reporters, including MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, that he'll likely have "another deal or two" done with regards to pitching by this time next week. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com
Since speculation is fun, do we think Luhnow's other move or two is a trade or a signing? Pitchers rumored to be available include Brett Anderson and David Price. If he's signing one it may be a Daniel Hudson type of pitcher. Also relievers like Andrew Bailey, John Axford, Jose Veras, and Daniel Bard are all possibilities.
By Daniel Hudson type of pitcher, do you mean a pitcher who had a bad year last year with injury concerns? I wish they would sign Price/Axford/Bailey but I fear they will sign low-cost high-reward type of pitchers for one more season and attempt to deal them. Daniel Bard, Mitchell Boggs, Dylan Axelrod, Roy Oswalt, Brandon Lyon, Erik Bedard all seem like pretty logical pickups. Wild speculation on my part.
According to a Sanspo report, NPB officials are prepared to accept MLB's new posting system proposal that includes a $20 million limit on posting fees. The report from Sanspo in Japan was translated by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. It's a big win for lower-budget Major League Baseball teams, who have seen posting fees skyrocket to ridiculous levels in recent years. Masahiro Tanaka is the big fish on the international pond this winter and will be able to begin accepting bids once the new system is put into place. Full details should be disclosed soon. Dec 4 - 4:50 PM Wow. Seems like we'd be nuts not to sign him, no? He's falling right into our lap.
Good flippable pieces potentially. I don't think Price will be in play for us though, too much to ask for in terms of talent and future salary. Veras would be hilarious to trade him twice for prospects.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Jeff Luhnow on radio: "I expect some time in the next seven days there'll be some activity and we'll be involved in it"</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/statuses/408765538320412672">December 6, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>More Luhnow: "It’s funny, we sign Dexter Fowler, I get more questions on George Spring than Dexter Fowler"</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/statuses/408767335785189376">December 6, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
How about Ubaldo Jimenez he decline a one year deal w/ Indians for longer deal also Paul Maholm SO/9: 9.6 BB/9:3.9 2015 SP Rotation: What could Be Jimenez-Appel-Maholm-Wojciechowski-Foltynewicz
There's a guy named Cosart who's pretty great plus the likelihood of Rodon going first overall. Doubt Luhnow goes on a long term deal for a pitcher. It's probably a trade. No top tier pitcher who cares about winning is coming in free agency. McCullers, Thurman, Velasquez gotta be in the mix too
I forgot all about Cosart but he walks as many as he strikeouts and you need butts in the seats...and as the saying goes gotta spend money to make money. We will see!!!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a> close to signing Qualls, two years plus option, $9.5M plus incentives.</p>— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/statuses/409436398551580672">December 7, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
We know that Luhnow & Co can work the draft, trade veterans for prospects, and rebuild a minor league system. This is his first real shot at making offseason moves to actually improve the major league roster. I'm willing to have faith in the guy, see how this & the next offseason play out, and withhold judgement until then. None of these moves are financially onerous, in either dollars of years.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a> have hired Tom Koch-Weser as coordinator of advance information. He'll do advance scouting, with emphasis on video.</p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/statuses/410077051027091456">December 9, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Astros County: Winter Meetings, Day 1 I like Chris Sale, but I'm trying to figure out the right combination of prospects to give up without making me mourn the loss of those prospects.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/...ris-sale-jose-quintana-hector-santiago-120813 Many teams remain in the market for starting pitching, and White Sox general manager Rick Hahn has three marketable left-handers on his roster: Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Hector Santiago. The White Sox are open to discussing trade proposals for all three, sources told FOX Sports 1, although the team is more willing to trade Santiago than Sale or Quintana. (Santiago hasn’t been a fulltime starter; he pitched out of the bullpen for stretches in each of the past two seasons.) Unlike the Rays with David Price, Hahn faces no contractual pressure to move any of the three. Santiago is on track to become a free agent after the 2017 season, Quintana after 2018. Sale has a long-term contract that includes club options for the ’18 and ’19 seasons. If anything, those years of control — at reasonable salaries — could make the Chicago lefties more appealing when compared to other alternatives. Oakland’s Brett Anderson, with two years of club control remaining, has been mentioned as a trade candidate this offseason. But Anderson threw only 163 innings over the past three seasons because injuries. Sale (214-1/3) and Quintana (200) surpassed that in 2013 alone, with Santiago (149) not far behind. Hahn could demand far more in prospects for Sale than Tampa Bay GM Andrew Friedman can for Price. For one thing, Sale is younger. Sale also has thrown more innings than Price over the past two seasons with a better ERA+ and higher Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs.com. Between two statistically similar pitchers, six years of Sale is decidedly more valuable than two of Price.
