If the Astros continue to struggle, would you?

this is way too early to be having an intellignent conversation about this...

First, this team always starts slow and therefore patience needs to be a key. Hell, were not even 20 games in yet.

Second, given how early it is in the season, there is no defined market for Roy.

Last, Roy has started out this year, much in the same way as last year, which would currently put his value down.


If the question is simply, should we entertain it?

Sure, but I'm betting there couldn't be a worse year to try and trade a big contract for minor league prospects.

 

Given the Astros recent track record of evaluating prospects, if we ever do trade the likes of Oswalt and Berkman, I wouldn't be surprised if we got bad value in return.

I understand that one of the reasons we draft poorly may have to do with an unwillingness to pay big dollars to draftees and that trading for prospects is different than drafting prospects. I also understand that we've made some questionable trades over the past several years where we've given up some of our better prospects. I'm just saying that we very well may end up getting shortchanged if we do decide to deal any of our big name players. Wade hasn't proven much in his short time as our GM, even if he is supposed to have a track record of success.

At the same time, given the sad state of our farm system, the chances are slim that we will be able to bring up enough good talent to contend while Oswalt and Berkman are still producing at a high level.

I can understand either direction the organization takes on this issue. I just hope they draft well over the next few years, regardless of what they do with Roy and Lance.

 

Wow! Already talking trades? For some reason like it or not...this group of players always start of ****ty. Maybe it's their laid back personalities or maybe they didn't work hard enough in ST. Wait until May b4 issuing trade proposals.

I would be interested in gutting the team by mid June if we aren't competitive.

 

Seconded. Way too early to begin discussing this.

And if they do get to that point, well then they should get rid of the coaching staff too, sans Cruz. He's an Astros for life.

 

Typical knee-jerk DaDakota thread...wouldn't expect any less though.


As for the topic: Absolutely not. Roy and the Stros both are late bloomers, and the problem with that is the non-waiver deadline comes before the team hits its annual stride.

In this incarnation, the Astros need pitching - and they'll only need it that much more for years to come if they trade Oswalt.

Blow up the team, sure. But keep its identity through the transition (i.e. Berkman/RoyO)

Besides, who wants to see something like this:

 

This is a moot point. Oswalt has a complete no trade clause.

 

That is true, although Roy O has said he would waive the no-trade clause if it would help the team get prospects and put him in a position to play with a competitive team.

Not surprised the Astros are off to a slow start. The pitching is going to need to get a hell of a lot better.

 

It does not matter how good the pitching is if we cannot score any runs.

 

Right. It'd be one thing if the Astros had the Florida Marlins sense of guessing right on prospects more times than not. Also with impatient fans, it takes 2 to 4 years of Marlins type dealings to see the potential realized. Do fans want to be told their team wont be good until 2012 and wont contend until 2014? I dont sense Drayton himself is gonna wait until his 80's for youngsters to develop.

At the same time, sometimes if its the right blend of prospects and personalities fans might actually support a youth movement. I could be wrong but I dont recall the Post-Nolan Ryan team itself bringing fans THAT much resentment. Took a while to get over but Biggio, Bagwell and the gang held people's interest just enough with their potential. Astros might have just enough holdover fans this time around with Minute Maid park instead of the crappy Astrodome that it wont hurt overall profit margin.

I could go either way with it.

 

Just to play devil's advocate, if the team continues to suck, what is the alternative? If you don't trade away these guys, they just will get older and worse - meaning we still won't be good by 2012 and won't contend by 2014. But not only that, we won't have those prospects either to make us better after that either.

For example, many people have been saying to blow this team up before last year. If we had traded those guys then, they'd have fetched much more and you'd have some of those prospects coming up starting this year or in 2010. . Matt LaPorta, for example, is a potential future superstar and got traded by Milwaukee for 2 months of Sabathia. How many Matt LaPortas could the Astros have gotten for 3 or 4 years of Oswalt and Berkman in their primes?

 

not to mention that for all the concern placed on the starting rotation.. Hampton, Wandy, and Ortiz have all had good/solid outings.. however early on..

with the exceptions of Oswalt's last game.. and Moehler's implosion on the mound.. the team's failing has been mostly due to a lack of run support..

 

As long as the grocery man can keep selling tickets, the Astros will never do a full rebuild.

 

I somewhat agree. I think we need to keep Roy, Lance, and Hunter. Bang most of the others and start a DAMN FARM SYSTEM. I'd rather suck for 3 years and then being competitive for the next 10. Instead of being mediocre. But if we traded Roy, we have zero starting pitchers ...

But typical Astro fans, and the owner, don't want that...

another thing, we barley made the playoffs with Roy, Roger, and Andy on the hill.... how the **** do we plan on making it this year? ha

 

I don't think the Astros, as they are constructed now, can contend this year or any time soon. No pitching; aging offense; poor farm system -- there is nothing good about this team.

The Astros currently have one of the worst farms in the MLB which has to change. They need to pile up more talent and rebuild from within. That is the proven formula of winning these days. I think that if by mid season they are more than 10 games below 500, the Astros should trade everybody that has any trade value -- by everybody I mean everybody, Oswalt and Berkman included.

 

I still feel the 'Stros of the 90's would have had greater overall success had Bags and Biggio broken a few bats or took someone out on the basepaths. I probably should have called into Sportsbeat and expressed this - that would have been a fresh take.

 

I love these sort of threads 6 games in to the season. It has a Richard Justice feel to it.

 

definately too early to push the panic button. however, i'm a big oswalt fan and wouldn't mind seeing him moved to the mets. he is not as dominating as he used to be yet still worth a ton in a trade to a contender.

 

How dare he want to sell tickets...what does he think this is, a business?