Brett Phillips' homer from last night: <iframe src='http://www.milb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=35182521&width=400&height=224&property=milb' width='400' height='224' frameborder='0'>Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Vince Velasquez owns the San Jose Giants this season. He’s struck out 5 in a row and 6 of last 7. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JetHawks?src=hash">#JetHawks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a></p>— Jason Schwartz (@jasondschwartz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasondschwartz/statuses/497957818268254209">August 9, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I honestly think he is getting disinterested down there. He had something like a 2.50 ERA before his last few starts. He has great control, plus changeup, serious potential to stick in the back end of the rotation long term in my opinion. Just guess it sucks because there isn't a spot for him right now. Meanwhile, Velasquez has thrown 3 innings of one hit ball with six strikeouts. Boss status
Unfortunately, Vince and the JetHawks walked off with a 2-1 loss. A couple of errors doomed him. Final line: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 earned), BB (intentional), 7 K
I try to stop myself from getting excited about Velasquez because he has so many health problems, it seems. I feel like he won't ever really make it all the way because he can't stay on the field.
Que? He had TJ surgery and then came back. His only injury this year was a groin strain that kep him out for a while. It's not like it's always one thing or another.
Here's a reason why I'd be open to trading multiple prospects for one who's a higher talent. Where would Tucker play? Obviously Singleton will be given every chance at 1st. With Carter's emergence, he seems to have the DH spot locked up. Then there's Springer, Fowler, Grossman, Santana, Hernandez, Tucker, Deshields and Fisher. That's not bad for some OF depth. Something has to happen.
People aren't gonna line up for the C+/B- prospects like Tucker/Teo Hernandez/ DDJ. If the Astros want to acquire legitimate MAJOR LEAGUE talent rather than A-ball prospects, they're going to have to offer up their top-10 level guys like Santana, Springer, Folty, etc... and hope the lesser prospects can fill in as cheap talent. This whole 'lets acquire 30+ prospects and see what pans out' method is really difficult to watch.
Well, you could certainly argue that the names you mentioned would be top 10 prospects in a lot of other systems.
What's worse is that they could conceivably keep doing it... till they either get lucky and a good amount pan out, or the rare opportunity presents itself where somebody gets duped and does go for the B/C level prospects. You could see a Cosart-like trade almost every year, as this front office seems to utilize its analytics to make early conclusions on guys faster than other organizations would (both ways... they seem to know ahead of time who they want to keep and who is on a shorter leash). But yeah... expecting almost every player who looks respectable in the minors to have a chance pan out isn't reality. Even the "Cardinals model" (whatever that is) still relied on some star acquisitions to actually make a World Series run.
You could, but what would be the point? Danry Vasquez was the 4th ranked Tigers prospect and probably barely cracks the top 20 in the Astros system. Vasquez the player didn't get any more or less valuable at the time of the trade.
