Much has been made of the Astros’ pursuit of a rotation upgrade — specifically of the top-of-the-rotation variety — but general manager Jeff Luhnow said today that adding another bat to his lineup is a growing point of focus, tweets MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart.
Recently, when previewing Houston’s trade deadline approach, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle noted that an upgrade at first base was something the Astros were considering, but pitching, at the time, was said to be a priority. Luhnow’s comments, it should be noted, came even before Chris Carter exited tonight’s game with a sprained right ankle (as McTaggart wrote tonight). Carter was able to walk off the field under his own power, and said after the game (also via McTaggart) that while he’s swollen and sore, he hopes to avoid the disabled list. Houston also has Jon Singleton as an option to step in at first base.
Neither Carter nor Singleton has been particularly productive this season, though. Astros first basemen, in fact, collectively batted just .189/.296/.372 in the season’s first half. Both corner infield spots were problematic, as Houston third baseman slashed .208/.289/.418. Luis Valbuena, though, for all of his batting average woes, is showing the best power of his career. And, the Astros also have Jed Lowrie on the mend, who one would think could take some at-bats at the hot corner now that Carlos Correa has cemented himself as the club’s shortstop.
Both center field (.224/.284/.364) and designated hitter (.240/.279/.436) have collectively resulted in below-average production for their positions as well.
It would seem that the Astros are positioning themselves to be one of the most active clubs on this year’s trade market. Luhnow himself has now stated a growing desire to add a bat, a desire to add a front-of-the-rotation starter and an openness to adding bullpen pieces (specifically, a pitcher with well above-average velocity). Luhnow and the Astros are in a new position as buyers on the summer trade market, so this will be the first opportunity we have to see how aggressive an approach the Houston front office will take when it comes to adding big league talent.
Ben Revere seems to make some sense.
would if the phillies had any sanity when discussing trades about him. Wasn’t their rumor where the phillies wanted Mookie Betts for him (HE’S A RENTAL)!
First of all, Revere isn’t a rental, secondly I really doubt there is any truth to them asking for Mookie Betts for Revere, considering Betts was better then Revere this time last year when Revere was made available.
Sorry was going off of information someone else had given me. and while he’s not a rental he doesn’t really do anything that much better than what the Astros already have and will have down the road to pick up his two additional Arbitration years.
That’s silly and more than likely not true. Revere isn’t a rental and is a good player who could help out a contending team.
No , But they want more than Trash for a Major League 300 hitter.
Revere makes little sense. He is a one dimensional player. They need a force in the lineup.
If by force you mean a home run hitting high strikeout guy, they already have a lot of those. They lead the AL in home runs and strikeouts. If by force you mean an all round great player like Bryce Harper or Mike Trout, then, yes, every team needs that. Those players aren’t available.
And the rumor was that Amaro wanted Trevor Gott for Revere.
And it’s the One dimension the Astro’s need it a Player Getting on Base !
The Guy lead NL hits last Year.
Odds are they find a way to get Bruce on top of Cueto and stick him at first. when Lowrie comes back he’s playing 3rd and if I’m getting Bruce to produce at first I can live with poor defense at first that is bad anyway.
That makes some sense, but I see them going after Lind for 1st.. Possibly a mega trade involving Lind, Gomez and Lohse/Garza.. The Astros could give up less in prospects if they take on Garza’s contract.. I don’t know though, since they are prospect rich they might prefer to deal prospects and avoid extra salary..
To me that would be more expensive then Bruce and Cueto. Just going off the Randy Johnson trade when prospects were less valued the Astros got Johnson for the rest of the year for all intents and purposes Freddy Garcia.
Now fast forward where prospects costs more, Lind and Gomez are great players Lohse/Garza aren’t really upgrades to what the Astros currently have, especially Lohse whose been knocked around quite a bit age 36 and Garza isn’t doing too well either, and their FIP suggest neither are going to improve much.
Frankly those pitchers are detriments to the trade more than anything else. Gomez is nice, but doesn’t offer much for the Astros for season to justify trading a prospect who could probably be playing next season houston during Gomez’s final year.
Lind is a little better than Bruce, but if the Astros trade for Bruce they control him for the next 3 years as opposed to just 2016.
Bruce gives fits better long term any of those options and Cueto, Keuchel, McCullers, McHugh is a much better rotation then what have now and thats better what would be with Keuchel, McCullers, McHugh, Garza.
Honestly this Mega deal have here would be the astros being rather cheap rather than going for the playoffs.
For the Brewers to give up both Gomez and Lind in a deal for prospects signals to their fans, forget 2016, Keep in mind this is a team that’s 22-18 since Lurcoy came off the DL on June 1st and was in first place for 5 months last year so that’s a tough sell to a very loyal fan base. The Brewer roster as it stands now is much more competitive than their overall record suggests. For their fans to accept a full rebuild they are going to need multiple prime prospects in return, not second tier or once top tier guys who are now struggling.
Gomez is 14.9 WAR player since the start of 2013. Lind is a proven middle of the order bat in the midst of a fine season. Plus they are huge bargains. Between them they can be brought back for a total of just $17 million in 2016. Both are guys who are likely to be worth QO when the hit FA which adds to their value.
Lind is a proven platoon guy not a middle of the order bat, he did the same thing in TOR last year and the best they could get for him was Marco Estrada, I can’t envision a big return for the guy
Lind is a starting first basemen in this league right now. The guy has an OPS over 850 the last 3 years and has had a wRC+ of 130 or more the last 3 years and averaged a 2.2 War.
I don’t think you get that from the Astros for Gomez and Lind, maybe if you include lucroy but I don’t see the brewers doing that.
Garza is the Home Run Souvenir Champion for the fans in the seats, He’s done, Get Cuteo or Hamel’s if Houston going to make a Big Run at Playoffs , Put Howard in the Mix with Phillies Putting in Twenty-Million, Howard Gives Astro’s A REAL BIG League Home Run threat, Better than Carter and Singleton combined , even now !
Hamels , Revere , Howard Bingo AL Champs 2015
Three or Four Top prospects from Astro’s for Cueto and Bruce, and it set Houston back Three / four Years .
What do people think the Reds would get in return for Bruce and Cueto?
As a Reds fan, I admit I don’t know a lot about the Astros Outfield. With that being said, moving Bruce to first makes absolutely no sense. He is a Gold Glove caliber outfielder with a rocket arm. If his offensive production would ever live up to expectations, we would be talking about one of the best players in the game today. However, that is a very BIG IF. I like Bruce, but a package trade with Cueto should net a decent return for the Reds, and I would be ok with that.
It’s mainly because the Astros have 3 gold glove caliber CF at each OF position and have 5 tool that give significant offensive contributions. So using him in the OF everyday becomes difficult. When you look first you Carter and Singleton who Bruce even with limited time at first would be a clear upgrade over (plus being from the Houston helps a lot).
Bruce at first is mainly because it would be easier to deal with one team and be done rather than go to another team after getting Cueto and giving up another prospect or two.
Plus having for 2 extra years gives the Astros time figure out their first base problem without having to run Chris Carter out every night.
Simply put he goes to first because its best fit for this team while trying to fix the only sub .200 hole in the lineup. Plus both FanGraphs and and baseball reference have him as either breaking even defensively or a liability.
Colby rasmus is not a gold glove caliber CF, he shouldn’t be in baseball anymore he’s awful
True, There’s a reason Baseball Players with Talent get run from Organization after Organization!
1B, LF and C seem to be the most logical areas of upgrade.
Jay Bruce and Cueto for Brett Phillips and Mark Appel
Dioner Navarro (1B/C) for Josh Fields
Thoughts?
I don’t think the astros do that.
Dioner Navarro this year major downgrade from Castro in everyway. 20 point worse than Castro in WRc+, a full point in WAR worse, Castro is only 3 point behind navaro in OBP while his average is 10+ points worse than Navarro, and that before you look at BABIP that suggests he should be 30-40 points better in BA than he is, while Navarro is right about where he should be.
that give Castro 60 points to OPS which would put over .700 at the catchers position which put up there with Salvador Perez, whose over performing to begin with since there is a point difference his BABIP and BA.
For Cueto and Bruce you are probably looking at Tony Kemp, Domingo Santana, Brett Oberholtzer, and Derek Fisher.
I can’t see the Astros giving up Phillips and while I think Appel is tradable for them, I feel they would trade guys who are major league talents that they don’t place for like Santana and Kemp before trading Appel who they could use this year to spell McCullers down the stretch.
Still not sold on Mark Appel
I think the first deal is rather possible if Cueto’s value become too inflationated ,which seems to be a reality, specially if the Phillies and the Tigers keeping holding on Hamels and Price (i think the buyers teams will wait until the days bordering the deadline and create a very funny scenario). Navarro, at best, will be claimed by some team for something like a back-end bullpen arm.
Hypothetical trade between the Jays and Houston. Toronto trades Dickey, Bautista and Navarro to Houston for Springer, McCullers, and Oberholtzer. It is equal value and helps both teams.
I could see Houston going after LaRoche. He would be back in the NL, seeing pitchers he is familiar with. He would be back at 1b, rather than DH, where he would be more comfortable. Plus he is a good defensive 1B. Nice upside at a sell low price.
Houston is in AL that’s where he’s know and can still play 1B. Cardinals,Pirates,Giants after him becuase could use a 1B. Jay Bruce can DH.
Pirates need a RH bat
ah… so hard to think of Houston as AL! My bad.
Cardinals go after LaRoche, But not what they need , Howard or Lind are better fits for Redbirds.
Laroche is having a terrible year offensively. But his main, and stable, value is his D, and the Sox just aren’t benefiting from that because Abreu plays first most days. I think they would readily move him. Would he help the Astros? Probably. Astros are loaded with B prospects they can move for guys like this.
What would make LaRoche so appealing to the Astros is that they are trying to corner the market on players who strikeout. They have 3 of the top 10 in the AL and LaRoche would give them a 4th. Or maybe that’s a reason to go in another direction.
Agreed , Thats why Bennie The Jet Revere is what Strikeout Kings of the Southwest need !
Astros get Justin Upton to play at DH or in the outfield to spell guys from time to time.
Padres get- Asher Wojciechowski, Colin Moran, and Josh Hader. Or replace Moran with Fischer or Danny Vasquez.
Astros are sinking in the standings and Upton gives them a veteran power presence at DH.
Padres could also toss in Tyson Ross if the Astros do Moran, Fisher, Wojciechowski, Hader, and Aj Reed.
Upton is purely a rental but Ross comes with 2 more years of team control. He’s a FA in 2018.
The Astros don’t need a DH. But they do need help in the OF which is where Upton would logically play.
Trading AJ Reed would be a huge mistake. Especially for a non-ace pitcher who only has two more years of control after this one.
I don’t know the prospects of the astros but as a padres fan if we were to trade Upton,Ross and maybe Cashner for a group good prospects.
There aren’t ace pitchers with 2+ years of team control out on the market.
Hamels is the only ace out there with multiple years. Cueto, Samardjza, and other aces will cost you 1 of Appel, Santiago, Velaquez, Feliz, Phillips, and others. Every other ace isn’t being traded or is a FA in 2016
You could go rentals like Mike Leake, Scott Kazmir, Dan Haren, Ian Kennedy, Kyle Lohse, Mat Latos who will cost a decent offer for Leake and ok offers for Kazmir and c- guy for Haren.
Might as well give them the whole farm system. Gld youre npt a gm!
Yes the whole farm system for the Astros
7, 9, 11, 12 prospects of which they have superior depth for the #11 in fisher in the form of their #3 Santana, #6 Phillips, and #19 Vasquez.
Parting with Wojciechowski and Hader also comes from a position of depth the Astros have in pitching with Keuchel, McCullers, Peacock, Apoel, Velasquez, Feliz, Musgrove, Smith, Martes.
They have such a young nucleus that adding an established arm in Ross and power bat in Upton helps them this year and Ross helps the next 2.
Agree !
outside of Appel, Hader is the highest rated pitcher they have closest to the majors. They aren’t trading him for justin Upton, Also AJ Reed might as well be Carlos Correa in that organization right now, he’s their only real prospect at first and only real long term solution right now for Carter.
What Happens to Jon Singelton !
So who can they get to solve offense and front of the rotation issues without parting with anyone from their top 6?
Cueto and Bruce will cost the Astros 2 of their top 6 and 2-3 other prospects in the top 20. Bruce has 3 ish years left. Anything less than 2 of the top 6 they’ll ship Cueto to the Jays and Bruce to someone else.
There’s plenty of half the season rentals but only Cueto and Samardjza are front end starters. Most the est are 3-4 guys mostly 4.
You get what you pay for. Upton and Ross are the best package given what else it would cost to grab both needs in other packages or separate deals that actually help the team going forward not last until we lose both at seasons end and have to start our search again.
Again , Upton been moved by teams more than Trucking Companies, Guy is a Malcontent and Cancer in Clubhouse. Ask Kirk Gibson !
Papelbon and Bruce maybe.