Carlos Correa’s name came up in trade speculation on Tuesday, leading the shortstop to take time out of his honeymoon to call Jeff Luhnow, the Astros general manager told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). Luhnow told the former Rookie Of The Year to not worry about the reports, and he further dismissed the idea of any major trades on Wednesday, telling media members that he would be “surprised if we moved any of our core players.” Some type of creative salary management seems inevitable, however, if the Astros are to make roster upgrades while avoiding at least the top level ($248MM+) of luxury tax punishment level. Houston already has a projected tax number of just over $231MM, as per Roster Resource, so even getting under the secondary punishment threshold of $228MM will take work. Since this would mark Houston’s first time over the luxury tax barrier, they would at least face only a first-timer charge, though topping the $248MM mark would also come with a ten-slot drop in their 2021 draft order.
More from the American League champions…
- The Mets were one team that at least checked in about Correa, SNY.tv’s Andy Martino tweets, though MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo described these conversations as “more fantasy baseball” than a truly serious discussion. New York would make an intriguing suitor for Correa since the Mets have a former top-tier prospect of their own at shortstop in Amed Rosario, and it’s fair to wonder whether Rosario would have been a logical trade chip to head Houston’s way in any Correa deal.
- Luhnow also told reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle) that he had been receiving “a number of inquiries” about Abraham Toro. MLB Pipeline ranks Toro as the Astros’ fifth-best prospect, after the 22-year-old hit .273/.365/.461 with 48 homers over 1544 career minor league PA. This led to Toro making his Major League debut last season, a 25-game/89-PA stint highlighted by his ninth-inning, two-run homer that provided the only offense Justin Verlander needed in his September 1st no-hitter against the Blue Jays. Toro has mostly played third base, though he has some experience at first and second base as well, making him even more attractive to interested teams. This multi-position ability could position Toro as Yuli Gurriel’s heir apparent since Gurriel is a free agent after 2020, or the Astros’ payroll crunch could potentially get them to consider including Toro along with a hefty contract to clear some space on the books.
- The Astros have asked the Dodgers about catcher Austin Barnes, Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times reports (via Twitter), as Houston likes Barnes’ pitch-framing ability. It wasn’t long ago that Barnes seemed to be in line to be the Dodgers’ catcher of the future, though after hitting only .204/.311/.316 over 480 plate appearances in 2018-19, Barnes has firmly fallen behind Will Smith on the depth chart. Plus, Los Angeles has Keibert Ruiz on the way up as another blue chip catching prospect, making Barnes all the more potentially expendable. StatCorner and Baseball Prospectus do indeed give Barnes high grades for his framing, with BP also grading his blocking ability as generally above average. Barnes is signed for $1.1MM in 2020 and is arbitration-controlled through 2022, though he isn’t a youngster, as he turns 30 at the end of December.
just say no Stros. you can do better at catcher.
But he would hit so much better knowing what pitch was coming next
Lol
Bruh!!! XD
Haven’t heard that one before LMAO
Torro hit that ding on Home soil too, pretty neat
Oh, he knew what was coming so was it a fair home run? probably not Houston cheating!!!!!!!!! Was rookie of year also got by cheating?
Maybe. Who knows how far the cheating went? I know this is farfetched but does anyone know if the Astros can lose the 2017 WS title because of the cheating?
no
Yes they absolutely can. The question is whether the commissioner’s office would play that card. Probably doubtful, but this is more serious than the Braves recent scandal and we all saw how severe those penalties were.
extremely far-fetched. The investigation is not even over so why don’t you wait until they’ve actually been found to have done something wrong before you start punishing them.
Gee, do you think the Yankees will have to “lose” all of the World Series they won with roided up cheaters like A-Rod, Jason Giambi, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Melky Cabrera, Francisco Cervelli, Robinson Cano, and a host of others?
“so why don’t you wait until they’ve actually been found to have done something wrong before you start punishing them.”
There’s video evidence all over the internet, and at least 2 players have called them out on it publicly. They clearly cheated.
It has already been reported that the Astros were cleared of any wrong doing in 2017, it’s the two seasons since then, that are in question. They are digging hard and it remains to be seen if they have found any evidence that supports the accusation.
Lol! Not even remotely possible.
it is actually one player. And the video evidence is from a single game. You also have a prominent player with in the Houston organization that was in charge of the sign-stealing efforts. The legal signs doing efforts. denying publicly these accusations. You might know who he is he’s the manager of the New York Mets.
me and you could go back and forth and adjudicate this ourselves but it’s not going to matter. we’re nobody. The MLB is running an investigation. let it play out before you start coming to your own conclusions in punishing people. otherwise you run the chance of looking like an idiot. it’s okay to reserve judgment. as an Astros fan I do that with every situation not just with an astro situation. If it turns out that they were doing exactly what they’re accused of doing then I too am going to be ticked off. That’s unacceptable
The guy was referring to Toro’s homerun being the only offense in Verlander’s no hitter, which happened IN Toronto vs. the Blue Jays, not in Houston. He just thought it was neat cause Toro is a native of Canada, so your rant about cheating & whether his homerun was fair or not, is irrelevant in this case bub! Lol Besides, Correa won ROY in ’15, they’re being investigated for ’17 & possibly beyond, unless you’re referring to Alvarez’ ROY campaign. In the end though, you’re allowed to express how emotional you are over the scandal, however you see fit. LMAO.
Dude calm down, it was an away game. He meant “home soil” as in Canada.
As long as the Astros don’t end up with Willson Contreras. They can have Barnes– he’s a slightly better-hitting Maldonado
Anything involving Brody handsome smile is more “fantasy baseball talk”. That is unless the ideas as so stupid and outlandish that he makes the deal so that he can get his needy face in front of the camera and make believe that he is a great GM
Yankees bragging about Cole and then making pearl clutches like this are pretty reflective of the last five years.
Barnes is a great pitch framer and could really help out a staff that just lost its ace I’m Cole. With that in mind, I hope the Dodgers either don’t help out the cheaters in a trade or get back a high end prospect, way beyond the normal pay grade.
Besides, sending over a catcher who is so familiar with the players of your organization is a risky move.
Verlander is the ace.
Not in the 2019 post-season. And his advanced stats were a shade better in the regular season as well. Cole has a ridiculously low WHIP.
The Dodgers really can’t trade Barnes unless they’re prepared to dip into the market for veteran catchers to back up Smith. Ruiz is still only 20 years old and has barely played above the double-A level. It’s a little early to be penciling him into the big team roster.
Yeah, I wasn’t suggesting they bring up an unproven minor league blue chip and expecting him to last a whole season. I feel like with Grandal out this past year, the catching position has been rather tenuous for them.
Barnes looked like he would take the starting role a couple of seasons ago but has flatlined considerably. Will Smith was on fire when he was brought up for about a month before he looked to smolder a little. I don’t know if they plan to bring back Martin as he seemed like a good presence and measurable and predictable stalwart to have around. No news/rumors on with him.
The Tools of Ignorance are challenging to fill. I don’t want to deal with the Astros on any front though.
The Astros can have Barnes once they give us the world series ring they cheated us out of.
will never happen. And we don’t know if they cheated yet. why don’t you calm down and let the investigation finish before you start persecuting people. unless you would like someone to do the exact same thing to you. accuse you of something and then everyone in the world considers you guilty of it despite the fact that the investigation into your alleged transgression has not been completed yet.
there’s a great movie out right now about this very situation. this sick disgusting social malfeasance that has embedded itself in this country in which we condemn someone and consider them guilty of something simply because someone accuses them of it.
I’m sure he must have cheated in school, at some point. We should take away his high school diploma and probably any job he has or will have.
A lot of evidence is already out there for all to see. So yes, we do know they cheated. What we don’t know, yet, is just how much they cheated, and who came up with the ideas and who knew about it.
Then how do you explain the Astros doing better on the road in 2017 and 2018? Why is there no banging in every at-bat in every home game? Dodgers fans amaze me.
And……what proof is there that the Astros cheated during the playoffs, let alone the World Series?
Do we know if the Astros cheated during the playoffs or World Series?
No? Oh, okay.
the only evidence out there is a single video from an inconsequential game against the Chicago White Sox in 2017. And an accusation by a former player. there are three additional unnamed employees that back that accusation but until they put their names on it no one should give that any credibility.
this goes beyond the Houston Astros and the possibility that they cheated. this is an issue within our culture and society in which we condemn people and persecute them the moment they get accused of something. without ever letting an investigation play out. without ever letting the story breathe. how many times has this happened and we’ve come to find out that it wasn’t as bad as originally stated or it was complete crap.
just be patient. And rest assured that Houston Astros fans are not going to be happy if we found out that they were doing exactly what Mike fiers accuse them of doing. sign stealing in baseball is a tradition, it’s part of the game, but what they’re accused of doing is unacceptable. And if they did do it I expect them to be punished severely. I assume a large fine is coming. I would assume they would lose at least a first-round draft pick. they’re not going to overturn any games though that’s just not going to happen. That’s bad for baseball as a whole and no professional sport has ever done that for this very reason.
bass86
Everybody else in the world yeah, right on. And i think you are right that guy did do it!
You mean the ring that Darvish and Kershaw lost you.
It’s almost like the hitters knew what was coming
Or it’s like their pitchers were tired and overworked, with one of them already getting several seasons under the microscope by Astros hitters
The Dodgers hitters were also shut down on their home field.
“Carlos Correa’s name came up in trade speculation on Tuesday, leading the shortstop to take time out of his honeymoon to call Jeff Luhnow.”
I distinctly remember Correa proposing on the field after the 2017 World Series using Ken Rosenthal as his ring bearer. It’s now 2019, almost 2020.
That’s either a very very long honeymoon or he really slow walked that wedding.
Or, I missed it, and he’s onto wife #2, maybe.
Two years ago is not that long in planning a big wedding. Considering the long baseball season also.
Proposing =\=married.
Some people get married months after some get married year or 2 after.
The Astros should not worry about where they pick in the first round pick. They likely wont have a first round pick for a couple of years. .
Bingo!
Or they could trade Grienke. Pretty sure a few teams would deal for him and stay under the lux.
in regards to the 10 slot reduction in the 2021 draft. does anyone know if that means if, for example; you have the 28th pick in the first round your first pick is going to be in the second round…or can you only drop to the bottom of the first round?
“Hey Jeff, it’s Carlos. Please don’t trade me. Another team might not have the type of garbage can that I like.”
You spend a long time on that one?
I don’t think Correa gets moved. Someone like Reddick or Gurriel maybe get traded to clear salary for a relief pitcher.
OK….Verlander for Barnes. DONE!! Nice doing business. We’ll forget all about the cheating thing. What cheating thing? See!? Already forgotten!
How much are you paying your ghost writer?
10 bucks too much?
The Astros must have cheated to steal Alvarez from the Dodgers. That trade was almost as lopsided as the Verlander for Barnes proposal you jokingly made.