12:44am: The sides are talking, but nothing is close, a source tells Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
12:38am:Â The Astros and Padres are “working on ’something big,'” Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets. It’s unclear precisely what is involved, but he notes that Tyson Ross and Craig Kimbrel have both been discussed, with San Diego potentially looking for a center field acquisition.
Ross has been discussed quite heavily as a hotly-pursued trade piece. He’s controllable for two more seasons after this one, fairly young, and relatively inexpensive. And Ross has posted rather steady, rather high-quality results for some time now. Much the same could be said of Kimbrel, who is reportedly in play.
Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets that Houston center fielder Jake Marisnick is “believed to be in play” in talks. The Astros obviously have a theoretical glut in the outfield after adding Carlos Gomez earlier tonight. Marisnick, who came over in a deadline deal last summer, could conceivably be put to better use as a trade piece with players like Gomez, George Springer, Colby Rasmus, a
Brixton
I get the Astros are feeling the playoffs and all, but you’re really about to destroy a 5 year rebuild for 1.5 years of Carlos Gomez, 2 months Scott Kazmir, 2 years of Tyson Ross and an expensive closer? If the center piece if Appel and Jake Marisnick, thats fine, but don’t blow the entire rebuild going for 1 playoff appearance.
rob361
Win now, worry later.
Brixton
Sounds like the mind set Amaro had in 2011
rob361
YOLO
klute
Ross is under club control until 2019. I’m sure Kazmir has no problem resigning with his hometown team that he has been a lifelong fan of, Kimbrel might be expensive but he is the best closer in the game and is under contract beyond the season.
Do you really believe with Correa, McCullers, Springer, Tucker, Singleton etc being under club control for the next 5-6 seasons and having guys like Altuve, Keuchel, Gattis, Gregerson, McHugh, etc locked up for the next 3-4 seasons under team friendly contracts that the Astros won’t be a long term championship contender and rather they will just completely fall off after this season?
I agree Phillips and Nottingham COULD develop into very special players but they are coming from a team with the best farm system in baseball and you can say the same things about Astros prospects like Mark Appel, Alex Bregman, AJ Reed, Vincent Velasquez, Kyle Tucker, Daz Cameron, Teoscar Hernandez, Derek Fisher, Colin Moran, Tony Kemp, etc. They are absolutely loaded with elite prospects and they’ve barely just tapped into that with these two outstanding trades. Plus, we are talking about Jeff Luhnow, all of the names I’ve mentioned have come from his first four drafts as Astros GM. His track record in St Louis being in charge of all those drafts and keeping them as a long term championship contender carries serious weight. He will be able to replenish the prospects he has given up even the ones from the Gattis trade (I thought that was a much bigger loss)
Having Gomez for this year and next is huge for the Astros pairing him in the outfield with Springer and P. Tucker. He will bond with this team, his personality and the way he plays the game are a perfect fit. If the Astros win a championship this year or next that he certainly would want to stick around. I’m sure with attendance finally coming back, Astros will be able to offer him what is his market value. And if he doesn’t want to stick around, the Astros will be very lucrative to other top free agents wanting to be in a lineup with Correa, Altuve, Springer, Gattis, Tucker, Bregman, etc or maybe Cameron, Fisher, Tucker will develop quickly. Who knows but it wouldn’t be a crippling loss, is my point.
raef715
i kind of agree with you; Kazmir was a nice pickup, though if you are looking to win this year id feel better with a true ace at the top and everyone else settling behind that, and probably a more proven closer. Gomez just seems like a needless luxury, and who knows how his personality meshes with everyone else.
eldrime
They gave up nothing for Kazmir and he is more than likely going to resign. Rest of the pieces we moved were in place for this very purpose (ie. If we had a shot to make a run). Team is young and talented. Astros will be good for the next 5-6 years.
Randy Jay Pena
Wow Houston is for real if that deal happens they could go as far as the ALCS possibly the World Series.
Grey Suit
Seems like some if the other deals I have heard for Ross are a bit better. Of this is true I hope the Padres also have a plan to get a SS.
arianborova
@rob, that’s terrible thinking. Assuming they win now, then great but they’re currently embroiled in an AL West race that is close enough to where they could get knocked down to the WC and have their future relying on one game. It’s just not worth to get Ross and Kimbrel for pieces they had their fans suffering to see for years for.
rob361
I know the Astros system…it’s pretty deep. if they can get these players for acouple of prospects, why not? so, why can the AL west teams stock up, but the Astros cant? spend money to make money.
Brixton
Because they’ve dealt 7 of their top 25 prospects for a rental, 1.5 years of Gomez and a 4th starter. The system is very deep, but destroying it doesn’t help much.
rob361
“Prospects” stop treating them like gold. lol out of those 7 how many will make it in the majors? lol 1 maybe 2 if you’re lucky.
i’ll admit Astros just really need 1 more starter to replace Feldman. thats the main thing i’m looking at
Brixton
Considering every player in MLB was a prospect at some point, prospects are more important than you are making them out to be. The Astros are damaging their farm system that they spent 5 years building because they see a possibility that they might make the playoffs. Other teams can burn through their farm systems because they only have a certain window to win. Dealing away top young players makes the current 1-2 years stronger, but shortens the long term window.
Ray Ray
That’s false logic. Yes every MLB player was once a prospect, but not every prospect from the same time period is a current MLB player. There are a lot of failed prospects for every successful MLB player.
cookiemonster
well even just a utility guy, or bullpen arm, or spot starter all hold value.
Ray Ray
Prospects are MLB currency. Just like money, some you save and some you spend. If you spend all of your money, then you don’t have a nest egg. However, if you save all of your money, then you don’t have a life. They are trying to have a life in 2015. They still have 18 of their top 25 prospects. The sky is not falling.
NoAZPhilsPhan 2
Good analogy. And just like currency some people value it more than others, some people see an inflationary economy when there isn’t one and still others view prospects as BitCoin
nleininger
They also drafted 3 of the Top 10 in the most recent draft, and still saved enough money to get Sandoval.
Phillips is gone, we have Fisher, Hernandez, Cameron, and Tucker
Mengden is gone we have Musgrove, Feliz, Martes, Ferrell, Eschelman…
Hader we got Sandoval and Guduan.
Houser – haha
Santana – had no spot
The catcher does hurt, as we don’t have another one in our Top 30, though I do like Heinenman.
The point being, even with the trades we made and the potential of this trade, the Astros organization is still very strong. Not top 5 elite, but not decimated either. Plus all these guys are multiple year investments except for Kazmir, who I see resigning with his home town team. Even if he doesn’t we’d get a compensation pick for him and we rule the draft right now.
shaneredsfan 2
They won’t get a pick for Kazmir since he was traded.
southpaw777
Off subject, but i wanted to ask an Astros fans opinion. Since you talked about catching….
If the red sox were to trade Blake Swihart and are looking for a young controlled pitcher, which the astros have plenty of, what kind of deal would be fair? The deal could go beyond just two players…and dont say Appel.
Just curious to see what you would give up for Swihart.
theo2016
Expensive but dominant. He actually has surplus value which is nuts for a guy who throws 65 innings and makes 12 mil next year.
mwk89
luhnow v. AA v. Dayton Moore in a cage match right now for the AL
Brixton
Blue Jays rotation and bullpen is still really not that good.
Ray Ray
Yeah that David Price is not nearly as good as some rookie league arm that Keith Law says will be great in 2022.
Brixton
I was strongly unaware that 1 pitcher makes a rotation good.
Ray Ray
Well now you know.
Matt Tobin
Dear Mr. Preller,
Could the Red Sox interest you in a gently used Jackie Bradley Jr? He will make your outfield bearable defensively and is coming off a 150 wRC+ in AAA. As you know, we desperately need pitching pitching and would be interested in either Ross or Cashner.
Sincerly,
Ben
The Oregonian
Bennie,
You give us JBJ and Nava, we’ll give you cashner.
With love,
A.J.
YourDaddy
Astros already traded away two of the prospects that the Padres would have wanted for either of those two including their best CF prospect.
frankisfrunkis
Yankees sitting this one too I guess.
Franl Edwardo
If Appel is in the deal, Houston automatically wins
Martin H.
“Something big” huh?
Does that means Bregman to the Padres?
Sorry I’m just a DESPERATE Padres fan
nleininger
You’d have to wait a year.
philthepat
Just for the record, it has changed from being a year after being drafted to the day after the world series now. Happened a couple of months back.
max l
I think they changed it after the Turner debacle.
everlastingdave
The point of drafting well and getting good prospects is to win games. Trading possible future wins for the certainty that comes with a Gomez or a Kimbrel is fine by me, when even a massive trading spree will still leave them with an average farm system. And in this situation, I think beating the Angels and doing whatever’s possible to avoid the Wild Card game is as good a reason as any to give up some future value.
kangjh7
Jake Marisnick? ….what?
He’s worse than Venable. Why would you trade for him?
beyou02215
If the Padres trade Ross, which will be a huge mistake, Marinick had better not be the centerpiece. If it is, the Padres are a complete joke.
texgal01
I hope something good is in the works. I hate to deplete farm system more but if any players we have now even too that could be in mix. Would hate to lose Marisnick as like some of his play but we got Gomez so we have an overflow in outfield with Gomez. Think like his bat over Marisnick slumping lately.
If Appel is perhaps in that mix perhaps to go might like that also.
But Friday will tell if we get something done early or right at deadline. I like we are going for it and pulling out the stops because we can’t sit back and let Angels and Rangers get much better. I am sure all of this is coming due to not getting Hamels myself with San Diego at least but could be wrong there.
So the Astros could be looking a whole lot different come the Texas series next week.
Jason 46
Agree with rob, Our farm system is just fine!!
The only prospect that made me cringe a bit was Phillips, other then that I’m fine with what we gave up, and got in return!!
I still haven’t given up on Appel, and hope we can groom Reed for our future 1st basemen!!
The guy who said something about all big leaguers go through being a prospect! Obviously, but far more turn out to be duds! PERIOD
We did go through 5 miserable years of losing, BUT GOT a ton of prospects!! If we got to trade a few of them to contend for a championship this year, next year, or when ever!! go for it!!
As for rentals, who’s to say they don’t resign?
I’m going to say kazmir wants to end his career in his home town, and will resign!!
GO STROS
HAD OUR BROOMS OUT TONIGHT!!!
astrosman
the astros just loaded 3 TOP prospects in this draft and the only let go of 2 lol Brixton doesn’t know what he is talking about the astros only let 1 top 10 prospect of their board while the blue jays have managed to let let go their 1, 4, 10 top prospects in a couple of days. The astros and the cubs have the deepest farm system in all of baseball and the astros did not kill it with their trade or if they make this trade. They are 25 deep in prospects and every team gt 2 to 3 good to ok players each year.
astrosman
btw the astros got a lot of prospects in trade over the years the astros had ad 8 bad years of losing
raef715
how does Ross really help you that much, with the rotation they already have?
Dadbodfromseattle
Dear Astros
Stop beating us up.
Sincerely
Sadmariners fans
beyou02215
Padres – DON’T trade Tyson Ross!
Matt Galvin
Villa can go back in deal.
Max Stassi a good Catcher.So,is Carlos Perez.
I hope it does happen.
yanks1990
And Brian Cashman continues to do NOTHING. I guess they don’t want to win this year because the Royals, Jays, Astros have all fixed their problems.
Injediwetrust
Use this rumor to leverage Baez from the Cubs..
jmdjr1966
Please don’t be disillusioned as an Astros fan. You don’t have enough farm talent to acquire Kimbrel and Upton. The Astros should just try for Kimbrel to support their bullpen. However, the Astros really need a solid starter. They added a nice number three starter but the back end of the rotation is not that good and in the playoffs I can’t see a true number two emerging to counter other playoff teams numbers twos. Thankfully the playoff teams (that will make it) Kansas City, New York, Toronto (Wild Card) and the Angles don’t have starters that scare me in the playoffs. Good Luck Astros!