The Astros have acquired Anthony Bass and a player to be named later or cash considerations from the Padres in exchange for a PTBNL or cash, the Padres announced on Twitter. The reasoning behind the PTBNLs on each side seems likely to be related to tomorrow's Rule 5 Draft.
The 26-year-old Bass has a 4.08 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a solid 46.9 percent ground-ball rate in 187 1/3 career innings at the Major League level. In 98 innings at the Triple-A level, Bass has a 5.42 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9.
iLIKEtheGIANTSmucho
They got Big Time Mini Jim!
416jays
I thought it was anthony gose for a moment!!! Uffff
Noah Eli
Opens up a spot on the 40-man. Maybe another deal coming?
EightMileCats
Rule 5 draft tomorrow
coldgoldenfalstaff
That’s what this is all about. Taking one guy as to not take another in the Rule 5.
tmengd
why would Astros waste a 40 man roster spot on this guy? He was still on the 40 man for SD right?
iLIKEtheGIANTSmucho
Are you insinuating the Astros are better than the Padres?
Kyle Cotton
To be honest everyone is usually better then the Padres or will be soon. They are the bucks of the MLB. No usually likes their talent yet some how with a mediocre farm and not that great a team they end up getting .500 every year or close to it
briankoke
Yet, the last time the Padres picked first in the draft was 2004, so no the Padres haven’t been the worst team in baseball even 1 time in the last 10 years. Throughout most of those 10 years they weren’t even close to the worst team in baseball. In fact, they won their division twice, played a 163rd game, and won 90 games just 3 years ago. 5 of those seasons were above .500 ball. Also, they have consistently had a good bullpen. Tell me more about the worst team in baseball. How many times have the Astros picked first in a row now?
JacobyWanKenobi
Quite a fishy trade.
MadmanTX 2
For a second there, I wondered if Anthony was related to former Astro Kevin Bass. Apparently not.
Matt Galvin
Because he can start. Next is one of their OF to Reds for Tony Cingini?
walnutfalcons
anyone “can” start. I’m not sure Bass really fits anywhere on an MLB roster. Hasn’t had success out of the pen, either.
briankoke
Bass has a lower career ERA as a starter than the Astros had last year as a team. He’s a versatile pitcher. He can start at the back end of a rotation, especially on an awful team like the Astros. He can also be the long man, but his most productive work was in middle relief or as a late inning reliever. He was throwing harder in this role and he was effective. He seemed to be least effective as a long reliever.
randytherobot
Maybe Fowler to the Reds for Cingrani and Chapman.
Matt Mccarron 2
Fowler is good, but lets not get carried away.
MacK Korris
No. Cingrani isn’t being moved for a package like that.
Southern Man
Something doesn’t smell right.
Joe Orsatti
Nice Moneyball move right there
straightuphonestguy
He was really good in 2012 when he was called into action in the rotation, but he seemed to be really ineffective the 2nd-3rd time through the rotation. He may have regressed a bit this year, but I think there’s still some value.
Josh Blackfeild
Well this trade doesn’t hurt the Astros. If thats even possible…
Mickey Koke
Rule Five Draft. Opens up a roster spot.
padresinthebay
whew! I was afraid the Pads were going to try to slot him into the bullpen. He was a stud in AA, ignore the AAA stats, they are inflated by an extreme hitters park/city and by the fact that he was sent to AAA only after he was demoted from the majors. His promotion from the majors originally came right from AA and in his first year with the Padres he looked great. Unfortunately he looked like he lost all his confidence after that. He has talent, maybe a change of scenery will boost him. This might be a good find for the Astros and it signals an impending move for the Padres.
Daniel 22
Padres justifying their trip to the WM….
Mil8Ball
Don’t take this news too hard Padre fans…there are many more fish in the sea.
dvmin98
Looks like the Astros will be picking a player in the Rule V tomorrow and then trading him to the Padres. Could be good!
PadresFan1969
Rule V pick then trade? Did they change the rules?
dvmin98
No. He would still have to stay on the roster for the year
PadresFan1969
Good deal. If that’s the case, nice move by Byrnes to basically getting to the front of the line for Rule 5 selections… or maybe they want to protect Matt Lollis.
briankoke
They could have protected Matt Lollis by simply dropping Bass and adding Lollis weeks ago. There is a player they want and now they have first pick. They could be looking at the lefty relievers to fill that void or even a hard throwing right handed reliever like Marco Mateo. Maybe they want to stash Marcos Hernandez? Who knows…
PadresFan1969
After Smith for Gregerson, who knows indeed…
Luke Castor
I’m picturing the Astros picking one of our Rule V guys like Donavan Tate and trading him back to us as the PTBNL. I’m not sure if it’s legal, but it seems like the sort of thing to happen to the Padres, doesn’t it?
dvmin98
If refuse to take Tate back!
Kyle Cotton
Well considering I think it was Bob Uker or Tim McCarver who was traded for a PTBNL only to be that very PTBNL I don’t think there is an issue here.
briankoke
That wouldn’t make any sense. They would still have to keep that player on the big league roster. If they wanted to keep any of those guys, they could have added them to the 40 man, dropped Bass, and they wouldn’t have to keep them in the big leagues either. I wonder if it’s legal to have an agreement where the Astros take one of our players we want to keep, offer him back to us (not a trade), and give us the cash considerations to complete the trade. That doesn’t sound like something MLB would allow IMO.
Kyle Cotton
I think the rule is you need permission from the team you selected them from in order to trade him. The Astros had to ask the padres to trade that giant to the A’s
briankoke
That is not a rule, and no they didn’t. The team who selects a player has to keep him on the roster all year barring a trip to the DL. He can’t ride the DL all year either. If the player fails to be on the roster for at least 90 days, the same rules apply for the following season. You can trade a rule 5 player to whomever you want, but the same rules apply. You do not need permission. The team may waive the player, but they have to offer him back to the team for $50K. The team can take him back, or send him to the waiver wire.
Beersy 2
I know Byrnes has said that there was 1 player they were interested in that would be available in the Rule V, this is a very proactive way to getting that player.
PadresFan1969
You nailed it.
Luke Castor
Decent spot starter and bullpen guy, but didn’t do so hot last season. Hopefully he’ll have better luck in Houston.
I’m mildly concerned that the Padres keep trimming bullpen depth when Byrnes has emphasized the bullpen as a point of interest this offseason, though. That’s Bass, Gregerson, Mikolas, Layne, and Hynes so far, if I’m not mistaken.
EDIT: And Brad Brach. Yikes.
dvmin98
I hear ya. Hopefully our surplus of starters can be moved to the bullpen. Plus, the guys recovering from Tommy John surgery may need to come in for shorter stints, so the bullpen may be good for them this year.
RobbyH619
Assuming rotation is Johnson, Kennedy, Ross, Stults, cashner, that means Smith, Wieland, Luebke, Kelly, Erlin, will be added to the mix of Thayer, Vincent, Boxberger, Stauffer, with Sampson, Roach, Quakenbush looking at chances in spring. We’ve got such a surplus of starters that we can move guys like Gregerson and Bass and easily use a guy who doesn’t make the rotation and needs easy innings to come back from TJ.
johnnycomelately9
Yes but the prospects are better than that lot.
dominooh
usual padres move,always building to mediocrity,another year to wait.same old song and dance to us padres fans . byrnes likes our team,he thinks that the padres can compete with this team,jajajajja come on….
dvmin98
How is trading Anthony Bass building toward mediocrity? he’s mediocre at best. You see his ERA last year? Horrible. At least they may get something for him.
dominooh
brother,we need a power bat that can make the padres a serious team,not another platoon OF and the 1st pick on the rule 5 draft,.
dominooh
build a contender not a pretender year after year
dominooh
build a contender not a pretender year after year
dvmin98
I hear ya but Anthony Bass isn’t gonna bet us a power bat.
dominooh
im cool with this move but what im trying to say is that byrnes need to acquire an everyday OF with some power than can fit in petco park
dvmin98
I hear ya but Anthony Bass isn’t gonna bet us a power bat.
RobbyH619
Offense wasn’t the issue last year. The decimated pitching staff was. We’ve got 3 guys coming back from TJ in Wieland Kelly Luebke. Add that to Cashner, Ross, and Kennedy plus JJ the staff won’t be reaching for guys to start with Stults Smith and Erlin ready to step in for injuries.
Guest 3985
Pads probably have their eye on a lefty reliever like the Yankees Fred Lewis or the mariners Brian Moran in the Rule 5 and are going to have Houston pick them up. smart move Bass wasn’t going to contribute in SD this year
Guest 3985
Pads probably have their eye on a lefty reliever like the Yankees Fred Lewis or the mariners Brian Moran in the Rule 5 and are going to have Houston pick them up. smart move Bass wasn’t going to contribute in SD this year
FamousGrouse
I like Bass, I’ve seen him pitch really well and with nasty stuff. Concentration seems to be his problem. But the talent is there and if he had a really good season next year I wouldn’t be surprised. I have to agree with the poster below that the Padres need some power, and its probably best to package Bass as an “MLB player” in a prospect-for-veteran deal. I like Chris Parmalee from the Twins as a Padre.