Havent read this thread but going back to Singleton, how we feeling about his recent creep up? .240 and .702 OPS (average)
Singleton is a great story and OK player. He also plays better the more reps he gets so is probably the best of all the current options to start regularly. He has a high floor and low ceiling. But his position is one with great potential for improvement and overall this lineup could use another star level bat. He's a Chevy Malibu. Nothing wrong with that but if 1b is GM, you could go with a Cadillac or Corvette instead
Malibu is a bit small, Singleton built like a station wagon....... Having said that I would love to upgrade but I just dont see anyone worthy that we'd want to mortgage for.
Vlad and Walker are out there and would be major upgrades. What do you consider mortgaging the future.
You're not getting Vald for anything less then a haul, Lops comes to mind...I'm guessing he's our RF of the future, I want to keep him, We just have zip to offer, we're 27th or 28th in farm ranks....
I saw a post on the biggest Astro facebook fan group saying that we should trade Singleton for G. Crochet so I read some comments saying "No way, that he has never heard of Crochet". SMH
I am beginning to think there is no 1b upgrade out there. The Mets and D'backs are actually playing well and improving their chances. Neither will sell if they have any chance at all. Toronto's GM publicly said they will only be trading away rentals. That may be just to drive up the offers he gets, but that is still bad. With the state of the Astros farm, there needs to be more supply, not less. Maybe it's time to either focus on pitching, bringing in a TOR starter and another nasty leverage reliever? If the team still needs a bat, it may end up having to be an OF/DH type. That could possibly move Yordan to DH or LF full time (at least majority of regular season starts and the post season) or could mean replacing Meyers if there is a better bat out there.
Arizona is 1 game out of a playoff spot just like we are Coming off a WS appearance, I doubt they will trade us their stud 1B for prospects
Nationals, Marlins, Rockies, Rays, Blue Jays, Tigers, White Sox, Angels, and A's are all currently under 5% to make the postseason according to Baseball reference. These are the bats who look like they could potentially be an upgrade to the lineup (120+ wRC+/OPS+ for the season and/or since June 1st). I'm going to just skip players who simply won't be traded. Rentals Jesse Winker 132 / 164 Ahmed Rosario 114 / 156 Carson Kelly 109 / 139 Kevin Pillar 131 / 54 Under control Lane Thomas 104 / 129 Jesus Sanchez 100 /120 Isaac Paredas 140 / 116 Brandon Lowe 132 / 156 Yandy Diaz 113 / 140 Randy Arozerana 98 / 145 Vlad Guerrero Jr. 129 / 128 Isaiah Kiner-Falada 117 / 137 Kerry Carpenter 151 / inj. Andrew Vaughn 92 / 135 Luis Rengifo 127 / 104 Willie Calhoun 114 / 136 Brent Rooker 160 / 162 17 total candidates from 9 teams. Many of them are not sluggers or players suited for the middle of a lineup. Many are poor defenders or limited to positions already filled. Some will have lots of offers and/or be very expensive in player/prospect cost.
Here are the SP who could potentially be traded ( from those 9 teams) along w/ their ip/gs and xFIP for the season and since June 1st. Rentals Trevor Williams 5.15 ip/gs - 3.91 / inj. Patrick Corbin 5.53 ip/gs - 4.43 / 4.08 Yusei Kikuchi 5.33 ip/gs - 3.27 / 3.11 Jack Flaherty 5.94 ip/gs - 2.50 / 3.48 Chris Flexen 5.04 ip/gs - 5.00 / 4.95 Ross Stripling 5.06 io/gs - 4.46 / inj (rehabbing) Under control Trevor Rogers 4.98 ip/gs - 4.47 / 4.63 Cal Quanttill 5.39 ip/gs - 4.41 / 4.74 Austin Gomber 5.54 ip/gs - 4.42 / 4.60 Zach Eflin 5.84 ip/gs - 3.76 / 3.61 Zack Littell 5.33 ip/gs - 3.94 / 4.62 Chris Bassitt 5.65 ip/gs - 4.24 / 4.33 Kenta Maeda 4.1 ip/gs - 4.89 / 4.81 Garrett Crotchet 4.87 ip/gs - 2.40 /2.09 Erick Fedde 5.86 ip/gs - 3.84 / 3.82 Tyler Anderson 6.2 ip/gs - 5.01 / 4.86 Griffin Canning 5.39 ip/gs - 4.87 / 4.46
Winker should be just offering the 2 organizational top 10-15 prospects that Washington likes better than the other bids. Fedde and Brebbia are controllable, it's a very seller friendly market, and the White Sox have put a very high price tag on their players so far. It will take multiple guys that we don't want them to give up. It would hurt. Maybe Melton, Blubaugh, Tredwell, and Leon?
Offense. We need offense. Dubon needs to go back to being the utility guy. We will get better once Tucker comes back from his 3 month rehab for a bruised shin, but we need an upgrade at first base definitely.
Part of the issue is we have everyone hitting a spot or two above their ceiling. Once Tucker comes back, this team has 4 star level hitters, 1 above average, and 4 guys who should all be 8 and 9 hitters. Without Tucker, 5 of the starting 9 should all be 8 or 9 hitters. The have performed well, but very inconsistently, as they are being put in lineup spots way over their heads, for a contending team.
11 days and 30 minutes until the deadline. I think they will get a SP. I think they need a bat nearly as bad I am very encouraged by what I have seen from some of the younger, less established bullpen arms but a playoff run is not the best way to give them leverage/semi-leverage experience, so a RP would be good also. Whomever they get, chances are it won't be anyone we thought of.
With more teams making the playoffs and the elimination of the waiver trade deadline, there is always going to be more buyers than sellers. The days of relying on a deadline deal to address your needs without blowing up your farm are over. Unless you are going all in, it can become too risky for a lot of teams. Drafting and development is more important now than ever before, it's becoming more of a "what you have is what you have" league. Also, offseason trades and free agency are way more crucial now to rounding out your roster. Unfortunately I think the Astros effed up the last two off seasons by not acquiring more starting pitching. 1) Build your foundations through drafting and development; 2) complete your team through offseason acquisitions; 3) perfect your team through deadline deals...if you try to accomplish #2 through the trade deadline you're in trouble. That's where the Astros were last trade deadline (JV was needed to complete the rotation, not perfect it), and that's where we are right now too. Just too many needs..only thing that can get us to contention more than any deadline deal is health. And that is questionable as hell right now.
