2021 Trade Targets?

Adding Cavan for CF purposes is not entirely rationale, but I wouldn’t mind the risk of having him as a backup utility player elsewhere in the event that he doesn’t cut it in CF. And who knows, his dad made the CF move (albeit a much better/more established player). I think it would be a good PR move with little downside if the price is right. Acquiring him to be the CF answer is obviously not the move, but it would be a super interesting plot line (and who honestly wouldn’t want another Biggio Astro). It’s destiny.

 

I really like the idea of a trade for Bryan Reynolds potentially with someone like Richard Rodriguez. Reynolds is young and good enough that he can be a foundational piece with the current core of Bregman/Tuve/Tucker/Alvarez that might guarantee the Astros an above average offense through 2025. Richard Rodriguez would give Dusty an option out of the pen that can very reliably throw strikes. Both are cheap enough that I suspect they could stay under the cap. Reynolds is just entering arbitration, so he shouldn't interfere with a potential Correa extension.

Astros get:
Bryan Reynolds
Richard Rodriguez

Pirates get
Luis Garcia
Forrest Whitley
Hunter Brown
Joe Perez

Brown and Whitley represent some extreme upside for the Pirates, while Luis Garcia gives them the certainty of a MLB-ready starter with mid rotation potential. The Astros have enough rotation talent and depth that they can afford to part with the upside to add another All-star talent to their lineup.

 

That is a painful but fair deal that I think would improve Houston’s odds of winning a WS both in the short and medium term (as well as being a good deal for the Pirates). I might try to get them to take back Straw instead of Perez and Abreu instead of Whitley but it likely wouldn’t work.

At this point I think there is 0% chance Correa signs with Houston unless he gets hurt. He is on pace for the type of season that makes him getting $250M+ a reasonable expectation. Click will not (and should not) dole out that kind of money for a player with injury history.

But back to your trade, that resulting full strength roster is amazing:

2B Altuve
LF Brantley
3B Bregman
DH Alvarez
CF Reynolds
RF Tucker
SS Correa
1B Gurriel
C Maldonado
Bench: Castro, Diaz, Straw, McCormick/Garcia
Rotation: Greinke, Valdez, McCullers, Urquidy, Odorizzi
Bullpen: Pressly, Rodriguez, Javier, Baez, Raley, Stanek, Paredes, Smith/Verlander

The off-season could be as simple as signing Verlander to replace Greinke and one of the 2nd tier SS (Semien, Taylor, Simmons, Crawford) to replace Correa.

 

Astros need a bullpen, screw upgrading the best lineup in baseball.

 

I think it's amusing that dudes are constantly trading MLB pitching for a an OFer.

 

I especially laugh when I see Garcia, Whitley and Brown being moved together

Obviously Whitley and Brown are high risk...but they are also high upside

You can afford to move them if needed BECAUSE of our strong young mlb pitching. You don’t take one of those young arms and move them WITH your upside prospects

 

Ain't that the truth!!!

Not just "MLB pitching" but a kid like Garcia who could potentially be a star. You are NOT winning a WS unless you have elite pitching.

So you get a CF, but in doing so there's idiots on here (Snake etc) who are wanting to give up one of our best pitchers in the process???

Anyone, who suggests this, does NOT understand baseball, it's that simple.

 

Hey, **** you, guy.

 

In Snakes world.

This team desperately needs to upgrade CF + C. Let's trade Garcia, Alvarez and Urquidy to get a CF + C who are signed (or controlled) through '24-25. This way there won't be any weak spots in the lineup and you can easily find pitching.

 

All you do is take a nuanced idea on my part and present it at its extreme, then add on childish name calling. Were you stillborn? I have said repeatedly that my preference would be to make smaller trades for rental CF (Starling Marte) and RP that would not cost major pieces, and have only thrown out ideas whereby Houston could possibly address CF longer term, which because Houston has no elite prospects and no payroll flexibility this season, would almost certainly mean giving up one of their 3 young MLB SP (Garcia, Urquidy, Javier). I’ve outlined why I think that might be a good idea but have also acknowledged why it might not be. I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with my posts or wtf your problem is. I don’t understand how this site can be enjoyable for you if all you want to do is talk ****.

I have never advocated trading for a catcher so I don’t know where tf you got that from.

In sharks world, having Myles ****ing Straw at the plate in the bottom of the 9th in Game ****ing 7 is totally cool. As long as they don’t give up their 7th best SP in Garcia, a guy who spent almost his entire career as a non-prospect and who has a 4-4 career mlb record and fip over 4. In sharks world trades just magically happen without your favorite team having to give up anything of value.

 

Very good response. The idea of the forum is debate and reasonable takes. People labeling Garcia as untouchable in a scenario where we can pick up a cf that makes our lineup 8 deep or significantly upgrades our bullpen may not be the best move but it is definitely worth considering.

 

These two need to get a cheap hotel room

 

A guy (Garcia) who at this juncture of his career (at the major league level), out of every prospect the 'Stros have EVER had, has an era (2.89) that's in the top ten.

Knowing how hard it is to find, not just good pitching, but potentially d@*n good pitching, and YOU'RE CONSIDERING TRADING HIM AWAY FOR A CF??

Name a team in MLB that doesn't have an area of weakness?? I'll wait.....

You're NOT going to get to the playoffs let alone the WS without great pitching. I have no idea how Garcia's going to pan out in the long run but I'm d@*n well going to stick with him to find out ESPECIALLY GIVEN WHAT HE'S SHOWN THUS FAR.

They could lose Greinke after this yr, LMJ is injury prone, Javier is still up and down, we'll have to see how Odorizzi plays out, the farm system doesn't have any SP who could step in anytime over the next two seasons, and there's no guarantee JV will resign and even if he does there's no guarantee how he'll be coming off major surgery.

With a lineup with Altuve, Brantley, Bregman, Correa, Yuli, Alvarez and Tucker you're even contemplating trading away (not a promising prospect in the minors) but a kid who's had some great outings against a few of the best teams in baseball because you think the problem in CF is worse???

Again you are CLUELESS.

Maybe you and Hemingway can see if there's a book called "baseball for dummies" and you can get together and go bowling together talk about your idiotic trades.

I heard Bagwell the other day and he was saying that Garcia has unbelievable stuff (heard Correa and Bregman say the same thing) and is really excited about seeing what he can do and I'm sure EVERYONE in the 'Stros mgmt feels the same way and is thinking the same way.

Doesn't mean that they won't try to upgrade CF but they are not (and will NOT) trade a d@*n good YOUNG pitcher like Garcia to do it.

Maybe you're on the wrong forum because based upon the moves that you're talking about you sound EXACTLY like a Bill O'Brien GM.

 

Do the Astros need to look for a utility guy with Diaz out or just it out with him out 6-8 weeks?

 

Garcia is untouchable unless we're talking about another team's untouchable.

 

F that. I'm not parting ways with Robel Garcia even for Trout.

 

I would trade Javier before I traded Garcia.

Bigger frame and will develop more stamina to go later into games.

I'm all on board for giving up a guys like Ivey/Jones/Nova/Dawson in some form or fashion to get a rental like Marte.

This is the time to try to win another championship since this is probably going to be Correa's last yr in MMP.

 

I don't expect the Astros to trade Javier, Urquidy, or Garcia. McCullers gets hurt every year and will be here for 5 more years. Jake Odorizzi was hurt/bad last season and has been hurt/bad so far this season. Greinke and Verlander are free agents. That starting pitching "depth" can dry up real quick with one more injury. Also, only Greinke and Odorizzi have ever thrown 150 plus innings in MLB.

I expect the Astros to only target rentals this offseason. They don't really have the prospects to go after guys with multiple years of control plus they have money to spend in the offseason to fill their holes. I think it is a near lock they add someone for the bullpen. Not sure Click makes a move in CF considering we are one of the best offenses in baseball and being so close to the luxury tax.

 

I expect you to say the same thing next year minus the Correa part. And the next year. And the next year. Having Bregman, Altuve, Tucker, Alvarez, plus 5 starting pitchers locked up through at least 2024 and enough budget to add the value of Correa should keep Astros contenders through 2024.

Anyone in minors minus Leon and AA/AAA pitching that will be used this year should be available.