I just got a couple Tweets on that...kinda concerns me...I just hope no one in the central gets Halladay or Lee...
Looks like the Cards are going to indeed get Holliday. Talk about a steal. Holliday for one good prospect?!
I think its because he is a free agent this winter plus having an avg year...Kinda like Teixeria last year with the Angels who got him for Kotchman and thats it. Also Brett Wallace is looked upon as a 1st baseman so thats not happening lol
halladay for prospects??? uhhhhh yes. and like a previous poster said, if next year we're not in a good position, trade him for some young players. easy. done.
Just like the Braves traded 4 GREAT (more MLB ready than anything the Astros have) prospects to the Rangers for Texiera... then he was so-so for them, and then they had to give him up to the Angels for just Kotchman. It CAN backfire.
We can talk about it all we want. The Astros do not have the goods to get a deal done. Any deal involving Halladay will have to start with Pence and or Bourne. Norris, Bazardo, Castro, Bogusevic are not the quality of the prospects other teams have. To even be remotely considered, the Astros would have to give Pence and Bourne and then add 2-3 of the above mentioned guys. Then there is the other matter of the money. I would love to think that McClane would get this deal done. But there is no way he takes on money. This team is not adding payroll.
Why is everybody so ready to trade Castro? He is the only decent catcher we have in the system. Pudge is a FA and 37 years old. Q is a gutsy guy, but not an everyday starter. You'd end up with a FA Halladay and in need of a FA catcher. No thanks.
You wouldn't trade a "decent catcher" for a shot at the World Series? I probably wouldn't do it for a rental, but if the intention was to sign Halladay to a contract, then by all means go for it.
If the Astros were just one player away like they were in 1998 (when they traded for the Johnson) I'd consider trading what few promising prospects we have to put us over the top. The problem is that even if we added Halladay, our offense is still anemic. I wouldn't mind seeing the Astros try to swing a deal for a #3 type pitcher to strengthen the rotation. I'd hate to see the Astros trade away Castro, Norris, or any of the Lexington pitchers.
I think the crucial point here though is that if you're in the race, which we are, you are always just one player away. Unlike basketball where the cream always, always rises to the top in the end, you have almost as good a shot to win the WS in a fluke year as you do with the best record in baseball. All it takes is a couple of pitchers getting hot and getting in. If you could somehow get him, it would be a no-brainer. A team's "prospects" aren't somehow unique by virtue of ownership. The problem is we don't have what it will take to get him. I would kill to see "the Killer Roys" carry this team through the fall. I honestly don't think there's anything in sports quite like watching aces work magic.
You know, I was on the fence about this... as like the above poster said, our offense is likely not going to be consistent enough to carry this team into the playoffs... but you just busted the "Killer Roys" nickname out on us. I'm sold. Give up everybody for him. Include an everyday player like Pence if you have to. I'd buy a Killer Roy's t-shirt in a second.
Stream, the Phillies are talking about giving up a big package apparently, headed by either Happ or Drabek. Like I said, he's going to fetch a hefty ransom.
Our offense SHOULD be better... but so far, they've only performed marginally better than that team did.
In the playoffs...offense is most likely not as important because Pitching wins...Look at 05 and how we got the Series with a below avg offense but dynamic pitching! I tend to agree with the above poster that a #3 maybe the way to go but if we can sneak into the conversation for Halladay you pull the trigger because unlike RJ and Beltran or even Clemens this is not a year to year thing its a 2 yr commitment.
that team was made up of high OBP guys as well with power, this team has little power and mostly below avg OBP guys. Batting average will only get you so far, a team needs walks and extra base hits.
How do you rate your prospects? Baseball America has neither in their top 100, while Castro is rated 53rd. The rate Drabek as the Phillies 5th best prospect, and Happ as their 9th best prospect.
Once you get to the playoffs, pitching becomes far more important... thus the reason the Astros succeeded in 2005. However, to GET to the playoffs, you need to have some consistency up and down the lineup. The Astros lack that right now... even though they have 4 guys who are above average hitters.
This is why Happ is valued and Drabek is loved by the Phillies which is why the Blue Jays love the guy too. J.A. Happ W-L ERA K 7-0 2.68 65 Kyle Drabek(Minor Leagues High A, AA) W L ERA K 4 1 2.48 74 6 1 3.12 44