The Astros announced that they have designated third baseman Matt Dominguez for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for top prospect Carlos Correa, whose promotion is now official.
It’s been a swift fall for Dominguez, who just one year ago was rumored to have been offered an extension worth roughly $14.5MM over five years (plus two option years for the Astros). He’s spent the entire season in Triple-A so far after serving as Houston’s regular third baseman for all of 2013-14 and much of the 2012 season as well.
Dominguez’s best season came in 2013 when he batted .241/.286/.403 with 21 homers in 152 games. Despite the lackluster OBP, Dominguez rated out well in terms of Defensive Runs Saved, leading to a 2.2 rWAR season. (Fangraphs’ version of WAR, which uses UZR in its equation, rated him at just shy of one WAR.) Dominguez’s glove has long drawn positive reviews from scouts, and he clearly has some power in his bat, as evidenced by the .168 isolated power (slugging minus batting average) mark that he posted from 2012-13.
Dominguez hit 16 home runs last year, but he saw his walk rate dip even further while his strikeout rate climbed to almost 21 percent. The resulting .215/.256/.330 batting line was enough that the Astros saw fit to acquire Luis Valbuena and sign Jed Lowrie to serve as upgrades on the left side of the infield. So far in Triple, Dominguez is batting .251/.289/.371.
Despite the struggles, Dominguez is still just 25 years of age. The former first-round pick won’t turn 26 until late August, and if a light were to turn on with another club, Dominguez could be controlled through at least the 2018 season. In fact, that number will soon jump to 2019. Dominguez entered the year with two years, 62 days of service, meaning he’d have needed 110 days of service this year to reach the three-year mark. However, there are just 119 days of the regular season remaining, so it seems unlikely that he’ll end up reaching that mark.
Because of his youth, big league track record, remaining remaining minor league options and upside, I’d personally be surprised to see Dominguez clear waivers. More likely, it seems that the Astros may try to trade him to a team in need of some help at the hot corner. The Giants have had some struggles at third base this season, as have the Tigers, White Sox and Brewers. The Indians just demoted Lonnie Chisenhall to Triple-A, though they may prefer to give Giovanny Urshela a tryout before moving on to other options.
Speculating a bit further, the Angels were said to be seeking a controllable young third baseman this winter, and while they acquired Kyle Kubitza from the Braves to give them an option, it’s at least possible that Dominguez intrigues them. And, in last year’s leak of trade notes from the Astros, the Marlins were said to have expressed interest in a trade for Dominguez, though Miami does have Martin Prado at the position now.
Sad day for all Matt Dominguez fantasy baseball fans. He boosted one of my teams last year to a 15th place finish out of 15 teams. I had to roster him with the league as deep as it was. You’d have thought that team had been drafted by a savant with the ability to predict injury and then draft those players.
Astros Designate Matt Dominguez For Assignment
Well this is shocking. I always liked him.
He’s a good ball player despite his numbers being down.
reds should grab him, trade frazier and give him a shot.
Agreed. Then they should trade Votto and replace him with Jeff Conine.
they arent going to compete in the next 3 years anyway. wasting fraziers prime.
Agreed Reds making same mistake Phillies have done ! Waiting to long to move on to next generation of Players.
I’m not sure it’s quite Philly bad. Who would they have moved? Phillips is the only one that was clearly justifiable. No one would take on Vottos deal…Frazier until last season hadn’t come on..or really shown he would continue until this season. Cueto…Leake…they had to have someone throwing innings. The team was injured most of last season. That said…I’m not defending them really…I question whether Jocketty can draft and build a.system.
two words, Homer Bailey. give him 100 mil for no reason lol
That was ludicrous… Reds might need to let Jocketty walk away…I just don’t think it might be necessary to say… “Who has peak value..let’s deal him”. Reality is if they were to deal Frazier they’d have to find a 3B…then hope those prospects pan out. Votto deal was wild too.
They have tickets to sell too.
He has to clear the AL first.
Good Luck.
I think he could take Paredes place since he can field.
That’s assuming he’s even placed on waivers. I’d imagine they trade him, making waivers a moot point. But yes, he’d have to clear the AL before Cincinnati got a crack at him if it got to that point.
Not happening… They’ll have zero to sell the fans on once they also start shelling other pieces. They could get back Dominguez quality anywhere
What does selling to fans have to do with putting a winning product out? Votto is a lifetime red with that contract. He is supposed to be your draw. Frazier, phillips, byrd, bruce, cueto, chapman, leake all moved this year and your ready to compete by 2017, 2018. Otherwise they are a .500 team for the next 10 years.
I think that’s an over exaggeration. And the reality is that it is a business and yes winning is important, but its not a fantasy league. They don’t need to trade Frazier to be competitive in the next 10 years. They can offload Cueto, Leake, Chapman, Phillips, Bruce and help the system…and also draft well. You’re underestimating Jockettys track record of building major league teams. He did quite well in Oakland, Colorado, and St. Louis….his Achilles heal is the system though. Frazier is an icon in Cincinnati right now… And there’s just more to consider than just moving numbers around and getting prospects
thats the thing, if you move some you should just punt, set the farm up to keep feeding your ml team since you have votto and baileys contracts limiting you from spending heavy in f.a. its literally one year they punt after this and 2017 you can be a .500 team and set up for sustainability and have money to upgrade areas of need. the whole drawing fans thing is overrated. its still fun to go to a ball game, and its not like its tampa…
That denies the business side that doesn’t want to see the cable ratings plummet and also see those Todd Frazier jerseys in the team shop go on clearance. I’m not saying there’s not a time to deal… But I don’t think it takes that…and not right now with Frazier in Cincinnati… That completely ignores the interest he generates in Reds baseball.
a winning team will generate the most interest. the cubs had 4 assests when theo took over thats why their rebuild took a while, shark, sean marshall, castro and cashner. the reds have way more. frazier alone can almost get that value lol
That’s false…ask Oakland and Tampa if winning generates the most interest….winning and marketability do. Cubs pulled that off because people will still show up to Wrigley when they lose 100
That’s actually false by research
if you can’t sell the fan base on competing thats managements fault. if the owner cant afford one breakeven year he shouldn’t own an mlb team.
The Reds can rebuild and compete without dealing Frazier right now, that’s all I’m saying. You’ve gone from saying it’ll take them 10 seasons to it taking 1. I’m not saying they should hold anyone other than Frazier really.
the 10 seasons is if they keep everyone like the owner wants. the 2017 is if they sell off. hitters are pretty damn projectable nowadays. and thats really what they need.
Why would the owner come out and say…”I’m dealing”. Why would he ankle cuff his gm in any dealings. Quite honestly Frazier might not be valued as highly as some think. Teams might look and say he’s peaking now. Honestly, I’d deal about anyone but Frazier at this point. I’d move that Votto deal if I could.
frazier cant be resigned after his deal though with the money tied up in votto and bailey, thats why your thinking is nearsighted. while he is still under control get a huge haul instead of him forcing your hand that final year.
I’m not talking about Frazier the player. I’m aware of that potential, I’m not nearsighted. I just don’t think it’s easy to toss out carpet bombing an entire mlb roster… It leads to an even deeper seated disillusionment in the fan base. Cubs were a unique scenario because they could virtually lose 100 every season and still have a market base…its basically what they’ve marketed for decades….lovable losers and a day at beautiful Wrigley Field.
I’m not saying don’t trade Frazier at any cost…I’m just sensing a cookie,cutter approach trying to be applied when its more nuanced than that.
Cincy is ultimately going to have to build from within by drafting and developing. They can only jump start the system in these trades. And let’s be honest.. They need high picks more than constant Mike Leake like returns in trades.
They don’t have too many players that will even bring back impact talent right now…package Cueto and Chapman…great… But Frazier needs to be thought over deeper than contract…
frazier can bring 3 top 100 prospects though.
Think so? But in reality that means maybe one solid player…a so-so piece and one that doesn’t pan out.
Yes. Hes cheap and in his prime. Think josh donaldson light. Theres a chance you hit on all 3 too. And in regards to the high pick u get those by playing bad. So punt this year snd next and take the 2 top 5 picks. Im saying they are set up perfectly for a quick rebuild. Franchise player in votto, bunch of in prime tradeable assets, decent pitching prospects. Id focus on hitting prospects because of a higher rate of success.
OK…so who are we dealing him to?
Let the market develop over the next month but most ljkely 10 teams with interest
Cubs rebuilt on high draft picks as well, which the Reds can walk into without dealing a player like Frazier right now who could win an election as Cincinnati mayor if he liked. You’re throwing all other considerations out the window and treating this like a video game. I generally agree with you…they have pieces to sell off already… No need to deal Frazier. It’s like Posey in SF…even Lincecum..those guys are Grade A revenue generators…which is the goal of any business
im not treating it like a video game, im treating it like reality, you sell the fan base on a goal, that you want to win. and not be a mediocre team, thats like being the tallest midget.
You’re not comprehending that the Reds fans are always told this, or giving acknowledgement to Frazier’s status in the community. I’m not talking about the cyber community that can enjoy a Reds rebuild at a distance, but the people that actually buy the tickets and the other things. I’m not arguing against a rebuild… Why not deal Votto then too? I’m just saying that you can’t just look at the roster and say..he goes
votto cant be dealt. but frazier can and you are forgetting there is almost 0 chance they resign him after 2017!
Should they? They,could rebuild with him around..and then if he’s hitting deadline deal him then
Votto could be dealt if they kicked in cash.
they signed him to a lifetime deal so he could be the franchise player…
Lifetime? It’s not technically a lifetime contract, correct?
What’s not been noted is Jockettys long history of being able to build an mlb roster..that’ll play in as the organization develops. But I’m actually a fan of moving on with someone that can build a farm. I just feel that can be done without dealing Frazier. I’d be much more interested in bringing in top scouts and giving my system some time.
“The whole drawing fans things is overrated”…. Said no GM ever. I mean, at some point if you have all these players that other teams will send mlb caliber prospects for..you have to ask…why cant we win? You’re wanting to do a total gut job, and I’m just saying that most teams can’t get away with that the way the Cubs did.
Reds aren’t the Cubs…they can’t punt 2-3 seasons while their park stays packed with people in town on vacation
OK..3B topic…why did Beane deal Donaldson for Lawrie…not that much service time difference and it was clearly not a win…had to be pure business
Way too early to say its not a win. Graveman looks solid, nolin has a chance, lawrie is a solid starter at 3rd and 4 years younger, and barreto is well regarded as a 19 y.o shortstop.
It wasn’t “for Lawrie” it was for a starting 3B with equal defense and a high ceiling bat, two quality SPs and their current #1 prospect who plays a position they need. It should’nt be too difficult for Lawrie, Graveman & Nolin to outproduce Donaldson from 2015-2017.
Meanwhile the Jays could really use Graveman & Nolin.
Yeah, that’s all true…I wasn’t thinking it through.
The Jays absolutely fleeced the A’s on that trade, Barretto might be the A’s #1 prospect but he was the Jays #4/#5 going into this year. Graveman/Nolin were AAA depth and were unlikely to break camp with the team going forward. Their upside is supposedly being that of a #4 in the rotation. Not getting any of Norris, Stroman and or Sanchez made the trade seem entirely one sided in the Jays favor.
Meanwhile the Jays got a guy who’s probably going to battle Trout for the the league leader in WAR at the end of the season.
Ok lets just let WAR decide it when all is said and done. I dont think the words “absolutely fleeced” will be thrown around in 3 years.
I agree, we’ll see.
If EVER a player needed a change of scenery, it’s this guy. Can still pick it at 3B, just needs to change some things in his swing. Get him with a new hitting instructor.
I would say sign him up with the Rays, but I’ve seen the blunders Derek Shelton works on hitters.
Play him at 3B with Longoria there?
Sounds like a logical waiver claim for the Brewers. They’ve got no heir apparent to Ramirez, so this would be a no-lose pickup.
Assuming he isn’t trade before hitting waivers, there is no way he clears every AL team without being claimed.
True, having the worst record in baseball doesn’t help when talking about a player in the other league.
I would think the Mets would be all over Matt Dominguez considering their ‘Final Destination’ situation at 3B this year.
i think there goal is to compete, dominguez is more taking a shot for long term value. i think zobrist makes the most sense to them and moving murhpy to 3rd. maybe they talk to the reds about zack cosart and move flores to third.
Have you seen Oakland’s breakdowns? That team has incredibly played against what their stats say they should be…Eric Walker still has them projected at 94 wins. I was surprised….that defense has killed them
Oakland has a better team ERA and team OPS than the Twins.
Baseball is insane.
Like 4 and 5 in the league in offense and pitching.. But dead last in defense. One of those anomalies… But I’ve seen a few occasions where an error has directly lead to a loss. Question is does the rebound happen? What happens if they take the record as it is and sell off pieces. Zobrist would need to bring back more than the comp pick
Murphy is on the mend. Will he go to the DL? Zobrist definitely makes good sense, but I think they may be outbid by several teams who are interested in him. My guess is that Zobrist will make his way to the Cubs.
Please Brewers, please. We have nothing at third, and I’m including Ramirez in that assessment. Trade Ramirez for whatever we can manage to get, give Dominguez a shot. Still just 25, under control through 2018, good defense and pop. This is exactly the type of guy we should be giving a shot to.
It would make sense for the Brewers to pick him up. Who’s the hitting coach there?
Darnell Coles is our hitting coach. Was the assistant hitting coach with the Tigers last season.
Will he be better than Hector Gomez? He seems like the kind of guy, who if he was on the Brewers, the fanbase would be complaining and asking to get rid of him.
He certainly does seem like the sort of player Doug Melvin loves, although the decent defense would be out of the ordinary. The low OBP and swinging for the fences certainly fits the Melvin mold. Really though, if the Brewers have the chance to add any young or relatively young guys with upside without paying through the nose to get them, what have they got to lose at this point?
The whole cliche about Melvin not caring about defense and wanting HR hitters is kind of dead don’t you think? He’s playing awful. The minors are filled with former top draft picks with a variety of skills.
I mean, yeah, he probably will be better than Gomez. Or at least, he’d make less mistakes in the field. As bjtheduck said, what have we got to lose at this point? Dude’s only 25, controllable through 2018 (probably even 2019, as the article states). We have nothing at 3B, unless you think it makes sense to move one of our plethora of middle infielders there (which it mostly doesn’t, except maybe Segura). Assuming the Astros choose to trade him and aren’t asking anything ridiculous, I’d say do it. We have nothing to lose.
You don’t think Gomez is good in the field? Do you want them to cut the guy they just picked up?
Gomez has a cannon of an arm, and he relies on it too much. He makes mistakes that shouldn’t be made. But, if I’m being honest, so has pretty much every infielder we’ve played this season, outside of Ramirez. And no, I don’t want them to cut Hernan Perez. He was a well-rated Tigers prospect who needs to be given a chance. I’m not sure I see what you’re trying to say. I think we should try to get Dominguez because he has a lot of upside and is cheaply controllable for several more years and we have no natural 3B depth. If it’s making room for him on the roster you’re talking about, then we could option Sardiñas for the time being, until we’ve traded guys like Ramirez and Lind (and maybe even Segura).
If you’re being honest every infielder makes those mistakes. Dominguez will make the same mistakes. They’re not going to bench Ramirez, especially for a guy who is failing at AAA. If their scouts think there’s hope that he can become near average offensively, he’s essentially free and they park him at AAA, I could see it. I’d guess there are a half dozen guys rattling around the minors that are similar or better.
I never said we’d bench Ramirez. I said we’d trade him. We’re going to rebuild. That’s the whole point in possibly getting a guy like Dominguez. We’re rebuilding, we have nothing to lose. As for the half dozen guys you’re guessing at, sure, maybe that’s true, but none of them are in our minor league affiliates, and Dominguez is the one who just got DFA’d and is readily available. As long as the Astros aren’t asking anything of particular value in return for him, it’s a move that makes sense, as a rebuilding team. Young, controllable players are what we need to look at.
There are freely available young, controllable players available all the time. Did you not look at his batting line? A rebuilding team with no alternative gave up on him and traded for Luis Valbuena.
Have… have you looked at the Astros this season? They’re at the end of a rebuild, not the beginning. They didn’t want to wait him out to see if he could figure it out. We should be a team that’s willing to give guys like this a chance during our rebuild. There is literally no good reason not to, considering our situation. Unless you can actually name some of these other “freely available young, controllable players” that the Brewers could go get right now.
Wait him out? Don’t you think they might have some idea of what he is? He’s been there for 3 years or so, you know, during their rebuild.
Again, did you look at what he’s done in his career? What is it you think is going to happen?
And no, I’m not going to list players for you.
There are literally multiple reasons not to bother.
I remember watching him play in highschool. Oh Man him and Moustakas tour it up the WVL. I remember his HR in the Finals at Dodger Stadium. I believe it was consecutive years too? CHS baseball has never been the same.
Always wanted him to be a Dodgers but thats unlikely.
“I’ll give you 14 million bucks over the next few years to play a kid’s game.”
“No, I was advised to decline your offer.”
“Um….it’s 14 million dollars, a lifetime’s salary and benefits for an entire high school’s worth of teachers… and you’re not that good.”
“No, I was advised to decline your offer.”
That was some LOUSY advice!
As a teacher/coach, you ain’t never lying, brother!
In hindsight, it was bad advice but let’s not compare teachers and baseball players.
I wasn’t just wishing lol
TeacherTradeRumors, coming soon!
Amazingly, there are plenty of those lol
Mets Gee for Dominguez?
I’m not sure the Astros get more than cash consideration for Dominguez considering his .251/.289/.371 AAA batting line this year.
its not pretty but hes still 25 and has some solid pop. I think hes gets more.
he never really hit in the minors though, still id imagine you could swap another player who has flashed potential.
Trade Dominguez to Cleveland for Lonnie Chisenhall and give them both a run at AAA 3b in a new organization.
Cards should grab him, help beef up the bench.
Come on Angels, hes a better option than Taylor Featherston.
Ahhh, Flaherty again.
Well Flaherty doesn’t field 3rd all that well.
Quite frankly, I would take a chance on Matt D.
I would take him over Paredes.
At least I wouldn’t have a problem with the O’s doing that.
I wasn’t a Paredes fan because of his wretched defense, but he hits so well while playing DH it kind of converted me. And I know you’re not particularly a fan of Ryan, but I’m surprised you would rather have Dominguez than Paredes
Paredes has a career OPS of .666, including .599 over the last 28 days. Maybe he’s magically become a slugger, but it’s a lot more likely that April / early May was an abberation.
Houston trade him to the Mets for Dillon Gee
Gee is a Lone Star state citizen.
The Red Sox should grab him and play him in the outfield along with all of the other infielders they’ve jammed in the outfield.
The Astros are making a lot of headlines today. Taking attention away from the mlb draft?
WIth the 2nd and 5th picks, they’re just trying to own the whole week.
Giants? C’mon, it’s the Sabean move that will help win the 2016 World Series. There always is the underrated move than ends up panning out, this guy could be it.