Reading this thread, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. First it was this deal is bad if all we got was Gose, Villar and Happ...now it's ok but is Wallace that great? But considering all the clamoring for the Astros to have a firesale the past few years, you'd think everyone would be ecstatic...this team desperately needs prospects and we got some that fill needs. I'd say that makes this trade a success. It would have been far worse had they kept Oswalt for the remainder of the season..because anything could happen that could lower his trade value...probably wouldn't reach any higher than it has.
Hope so but without looking at park factors (they both did spend time in the PCL), he's not close to Pence in terms of SLG and BB rate. Lots of unknowns but the data actually points to him being about an average-at-best 1B, offensively. And I haven't heard anything good about him defensively, regardless of position.
I just watched Espnnews. Buster was on there and said execs told him that if teams had known the Astros were willing to put 11 mill in the deal they would of offered a better deal then what they got from the Phillys. Nice going Wade, you jack a$$
I'm curious to see whether his walk rate can improve - all the reports I've read on him talk about his eye as excellent. Obviously the AAA data hasn't shown that out yet, but the scouting reports are intriguing (yes, I know this particular one I'm linking is from early 2009): http://diamondcutter.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/prospect-spotlight-brett-wallace/
Ehhhh...The national media has been all over the place with Roy and teams can say that now after the fact but all they had to do was ask and it appears they didn't.
I wonder how many of those execs actually called Wade to find out anything, and I wonder how many of those were playoff-caliber teams?
Seems like there's a lot of conflicting scouting reports out there about Brett Wallace. I really hope we move Berkman so we can bring Wallace up ASAP and see what he can do. Only when he's up in the Majors and playing can we really say anything definitive about his abilities, and even then definition will take time.
@jcrasnick: A scout at Phils game said SS Jonathan Villar has chance to be an "exciting player.'' Needs to improve from left side of the plate. #trades
Most people around here seem happy with it so I'll join in for now but I'm not sure that we aren't getting a little too excited too quickly. Wallace has been a prominent name in the prospect world but his numbers don't scream star-in-the-making, without even factoring in defense.
Hope he doesnt turn into an Andy Marte kind of guy (who was also passed around the block as a premiere prospect by multiple teams only to flame out in the majors)
Buster Olney on ESPN just said that other teams told him they didn't know the Astros would kick in so much cash, and that they could have made a better offer with that much money on the table. (Reminds me of NBA teams complaining that they didn't know Kevin Martin was available when the Rockets got him). Oh well. Anyways, I like what I'm reading about Wallace. He had to move from 1st to 3rd because he isn't very agile. The Blue Jays already have another stud prospect at 1b, so that explains the move. If we could trade Lance for more prospects in the offseason and start Wallace, we could have a fun young team next year.
I know enough about Marte as an Indians fan even though I don't follow them as closely as the Astros these days. I certainly hope that Wallace turns out better than him but you're right, expectations were high for Marte at one point.
