Will Carroll’s latest rumor mill is churning up a new trade scenario: Brad Wilkerson and Rod Barajas for Brad Lidge, Morgan Ensberg, and Fernando Nieve.
Barajas is most certainly expendable with Gerald Laird hitting .347/.380/.579 in 121 at-bats this year. Barajas will be a member of this offseason’s weak free agent catcher class.
Wilkerson’s been subpar this season even while playing at Ameriquest, so I don’t see how swapping out Ensberg’s bat for his helps the club. Even Barajas’s below-average hitting would be an improvement upon Brad Ausmus, but the Astros just wouldn’t gain enough in the proposed deal. I have to think more players from Texas would be involved.