One of the biggest trade targets in baseball this offseason is White Sox ace Chris Sale.
In seven years with the Sox, he's been in the Cy Young conversation each of the last five years. He's truly considered one of the best not just in the American league but in all of baseball and he wants out of town. Last season Sale even went as far as cutting up his team's jersey before a start, just hours before the trade deadline. I mean if that's not a plea for "get me the hell out of here" I don't know what is.
The problem with landing the crazy good lefty is he's under team control for a few more seasons and since he won't be a free agent till 2020 the cost could be epic.
Everyone knows Sale's resume, he's a true ace. Since 2012 only Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and, David Price have a higher pitchers WAR than Sale.
Jeff Luhnow and his staff have pulled off plenty of deals before but those moves are Minnows compared to the Whale that is Sale.
Getting the lefty ace will no doubt have to be painful for the Astros.
A good reference for Luhnow and his staff to go by could be the deal the Rangers made for Cole Hamels a few years back.
However, there are a few key differences and they do not favor Astros.
The Phillies who traded Hamels and White Sox who will be trading Sale are in different positions. The Phillies were looking to add to the minors and rebuild their depth. The White Sox are pretty close to being in playoff contention and will want major league ready talent.
Plus the ages between the two are quite different, Hamels was 31 at the time of the trade while Sale will only be 27 if/when he gets moved.
Hamels netted four prospects included the 3rd, 5th, and 13th best prospects from the Rangers farm.
The Astros cost could be a little higher and likely to include starting pitcher Lance McCullers or third basemen Alex Bregman just to get the White Sox brass to even return their phone calls.
This is a package that could get the White Sox attention. Pitcher Francis Martes (#1), outfielder Derek Fisher (#5), third basemen Colin Moran (#7) and, Bregman.
The Astros 1st, 5th, and 7th best prospects, plus Bregman would be enough to wow any general manager.
It might be a little steep but if you want to snag the prize of the offseason season going bold is the way to go.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Dodgers fire sale, Astros gain?
It's being reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers need to shed cash, with the highest payroll in baseball they need to cut around a 100 million in the next few years.
The question is with the Dodgers many, many, massive contracts is there anyone the Houston Astros would be willing to pick up.
Of course, teams would want Cy Young regular Clayton Kershaw but that won't happen and no one is trading for outfielder Andre Ethier or veteran pitcher Brandon McCarthy.
So who else is left that the Astros would be interested in?
1) Right-hander - Kenta Maeda
The Astros originally made a run for him before the Dodgers signed him and he had a good rookie season. He wasn't perfect but he looked pretty good and he's under contract till 2023 with a very team friendly contract.
2) 1st/DH - Adrian Gonzalez
He's a good hitter and he's been one for a while. The real problem is he is making a lot of money but if the team is willing to take it all, maybe it would not cost them as much in terms of prospects.
3) Left-hander - Alex Wood
A very good pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, but his tenure with the Dodgers a little up and down. The Astros have a few left-handed starters already, but he could make a nice pick up if he returns to form.
Gonzalez might be a little tougher of a fit then Wood or Maeda, but for his bat, manager A.J. Hinch would find a way to put him in the lineup.
The question is with the Dodgers many, many, massive contracts is there anyone the Houston Astros would be willing to pick up.
Of course, teams would want Cy Young regular Clayton Kershaw but that won't happen and no one is trading for outfielder Andre Ethier or veteran pitcher Brandon McCarthy.
So who else is left that the Astros would be interested in?
1) Right-hander - Kenta Maeda
The Astros originally made a run for him before the Dodgers signed him and he had a good rookie season. He wasn't perfect but he looked pretty good and he's under contract till 2023 with a very team friendly contract.
2) 1st/DH - Adrian Gonzalez
He's a good hitter and he's been one for a while. The real problem is he is making a lot of money but if the team is willing to take it all, maybe it would not cost them as much in terms of prospects.
3) Left-hander - Alex Wood
A very good pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, but his tenure with the Dodgers a little up and down. The Astros have a few left-handed starters already, but he could make a nice pick up if he returns to form.
Gonzalez might be a little tougher of a fit then Wood or Maeda, but for his bat, manager A.J. Hinch would find a way to put him in the lineup.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
The Astros offseason has been great, but it could be better!
By: Joshua Reese
Since the end of the world series, Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and his staff wasted no time in making the Houston Astros a better team.
On the cusp of a playoff run in 2016, Luhnow swapped some of the inconsistent offensive weapons from that team and upgraded them, getting supercharged versions.
The catcher position was improved by swapping Jason Castro for New York Yankees power-hitting backstop Brian McCann.
Colby Rasmus was a postseason hero in 2015 but spent most of 2016 injured and was ineffective. The Astros went out and signed a carbon copy of Rasmus, but one that just doesn't strikeout as much in Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Josh Reddick.
The team even added a Nori Aoki a high-contact outfielder through a waiver claim and signed a starting pitcher in right-hander Charlie Morton.
By far this is the most aggressive the team has been in years.
After wondering for years, will the Astros spend when the time comes? We finally know, yes they will.
To date, the Astros have added roughly around 30 million to next season's roster.
The question is will the team try and land the crushing blow in the remainder of the offseason and snag themselves a top of the rotation ace and a top flight closer.
Morton is fine, but in his career, he's been just barely over a replacement level pitcher with a 7.6 WAR in nine-ish seasons of baseball.
The free agent pitching market is pretty weak this year and while Morton may have been one of the best, the trade market this time of year always starts to heat up.
Names like former Cy young winner Diamondbacks Zack Greinke has been rumored to be available, along with top pitchers in the Athletics Sonny Gray and WhiteSox Chris Sale.
Some deals might be harder to pull off than others, i.e. Greinke is owed 32 million until he's 38 years, and while I applaud the Astros willingness to spend, taking on that contract might be pure insanity.
Along with snagging a true ace, finally getting a closer would be very helpful in making the Astros a serious contender in 2017.
The Astros were the only team in the majors last season to have three relievers get 10 or more saves. Ken Giles, Luke Gregerson, and Will Harris all had a crack at one of baseball's most prestigious positions, but none could hold on to the job as each ended up faltering. Giles may have the stuff to be a closer but the Astros can't bank on him figuring it out.
The good news is, unlike the starting pitching market, there are plenty of free agent closers waiting for good homes.
Greg Holland, Mark Melancon, and Aroldis Chapman are all top-shelf closers and some of the many, many names out there waiting for the right team to come along and offer them a fat paycheck.
The offense is pretty set 1-9 with the additions of McCann and Reddick, but the pitching staff is still an area on the team the Astros can still improve on.
Just picture the Astros offseason ending with the additions of Holland and Sale or Chapman and Gray, can someone say, yes, please!
Since the end of the world series, Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and his staff wasted no time in making the Houston Astros a better team.
On the cusp of a playoff run in 2016, Luhnow swapped some of the inconsistent offensive weapons from that team and upgraded them, getting supercharged versions.
The catcher position was improved by swapping Jason Castro for New York Yankees power-hitting backstop Brian McCann.
Colby Rasmus was a postseason hero in 2015 but spent most of 2016 injured and was ineffective. The Astros went out and signed a carbon copy of Rasmus, but one that just doesn't strikeout as much in Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Josh Reddick.
The team even added a Nori Aoki a high-contact outfielder through a waiver claim and signed a starting pitcher in right-hander Charlie Morton.
By far this is the most aggressive the team has been in years.
After wondering for years, will the Astros spend when the time comes? We finally know, yes they will.
To date, the Astros have added roughly around 30 million to next season's roster.
The question is will the team try and land the crushing blow in the remainder of the offseason and snag themselves a top of the rotation ace and a top flight closer.
Morton is fine, but in his career, he's been just barely over a replacement level pitcher with a 7.6 WAR in nine-ish seasons of baseball.
The free agent pitching market is pretty weak this year and while Morton may have been one of the best, the trade market this time of year always starts to heat up.
Names like former Cy young winner Diamondbacks Zack Greinke has been rumored to be available, along with top pitchers in the Athletics Sonny Gray and WhiteSox Chris Sale.
Some deals might be harder to pull off than others, i.e. Greinke is owed 32 million until he's 38 years, and while I applaud the Astros willingness to spend, taking on that contract might be pure insanity.
Along with snagging a true ace, finally getting a closer would be very helpful in making the Astros a serious contender in 2017.
The Astros were the only team in the majors last season to have three relievers get 10 or more saves. Ken Giles, Luke Gregerson, and Will Harris all had a crack at one of baseball's most prestigious positions, but none could hold on to the job as each ended up faltering. Giles may have the stuff to be a closer but the Astros can't bank on him figuring it out.
The good news is, unlike the starting pitching market, there are plenty of free agent closers waiting for good homes.
Greg Holland, Mark Melancon, and Aroldis Chapman are all top-shelf closers and some of the many, many names out there waiting for the right team to come along and offer them a fat paycheck.
The offense is pretty set 1-9 with the additions of McCann and Reddick, but the pitching staff is still an area on the team the Astros can still improve on.
Just picture the Astros offseason ending with the additions of Holland and Sale or Chapman and Gray, can someone say, yes, please!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Dallas Keuchel wins 3rd straight gold glove
Houston Astros Dallas Keuchel kicked off baseball's award season by snagging his third straight gold glove. Keuchel got the win by beating out other top pitchers in Toronto Blue Jays R.A. Dickey and Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander.
Per FanGraphs, Keuchel had seven defensive runs saved which tied with New York Yankees Masahiro Tanaka for the most in the American League.
Keuchel was also one of only 11 pitchers in the A.L. who had 0 errors on the year (including teammate Collin McHugh).
One of the things Keuchel has been known for throughout his gold glove reign is the way he plays the position. He isn't just worried about making a great pitch, but if you chop the ball anywhere near him, more times than naught he'll be the one making the play on the ball.
With the win, Keuchel is the first three-time winner in either league since Chicago White Sox Mark Buehrle 2009-2011.
Per FanGraphs, Keuchel had seven defensive runs saved which tied with New York Yankees Masahiro Tanaka for the most in the American League.
Keuchel was also one of only 11 pitchers in the A.L. who had 0 errors on the year (including teammate Collin McHugh).
One of the things Keuchel has been known for throughout his gold glove reign is the way he plays the position. He isn't just worried about making a great pitch, but if you chop the ball anywhere near him, more times than naught he'll be the one making the play on the ball.
With the win, Keuchel is the first three-time winner in either league since Chicago White Sox Mark Buehrle 2009-2011.
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