I agree on the way-too-early part about knowing what their needs are until Altuve, Brantley, McCormick, and McCullers are back. I think a reliever is the most likely need. Will have to see how the offense shakes out when everyone is back. Of course injuries can change that...
I agree. My list wasn’t really a prediction. If I were predicting I would also say they will end up going after a RP. Chapman and Hand both seem to make a lot of sense in the early analysis given their upside and cost. But the Astros always cast a wide net when shopping for RP so it’s very hard to predict.
If France continues to perform I would probably prefer him over another FA reliever unless it’s someone special.
That is one thing I feel pretty confident about; if Houston makes deadline moves, they are going to be for impact players. They have a bevy of hitters who project as league-average bats and pitchers who project as effective relievers. I can’t envision a scenario where they acquire a mediocre player like they did with Mancini and Vazquez last season. I know Ohtani doesn’t make sense on the surface because Houston has a full rotation, a star DH, and a weak farm in terms of elite prospects. But he is by far the best player likely to be available and if adding him just means bumping Abreu/Brantley into a 1B platoon and bumping McCullers and Urquidy to the bullpen, it is easy to see how he could really improve the team. Say Urquidy, Gilbert, Barber, and Whitley for Ohtani. Playoff roster: 2B Altuve 3B Bregman LF Alvarez DH Ohtani RF Tucker 1B Abreu/Brantley SS Pena CF Dubon/Meyers/McCormick C Maldonado/Diaz/Salazar SP: Valdez, Ohtani, Brown, Javier RP: McCullers, Pressly, Abreu, Montero, Garcia, Neris, Maton, Stanek, France
Towards the end of season yea it would make sense. However, I feel like they need to keep him stretched out in AAA as protection for a starter getting hurt.
No question Ohtani would be awesome and they can make it work for 2 months plus the post season. However, pretend you are the Angels GM and the Astros are asking about Ohtani. What are you asking for? If I'm the GM the price is starting with Drew Gilbert and Bryan Abreu....
The hypothetical I proposed above is probably too heavy, but I expect the bidding to be insane. I agree Gilbert plus an established big league pitcher (Abreu, Urquidy, Garcia) gets Houston in the conversation, but I’m assuming they will have to add at least one 2nd tier prospect (Barber, Clifford, Whitley, Melton, Leon) to that.
Why would they play a guy who has no 1B experience just to DH the 1B? The only reason for Brantley to play 1B is to give Abreu a rest and I hope it happens at least once per week.
Two months of Ohtani is not worth the career of Gilbert especially to a team that will be in contention without him anyway. The highest bidder for Ohtani will be someone looking for a way to get past the Astros or someone confident that they can sign him long term. Either way that is not us.
Hensley is not playing like the Hensley from last year. There is a fine line between having a good eye and being too passive. He needs to go back to Sugar Land and rediscover himself. Where is the mad scientist who can make a Julks-Hensley clone? A player who has perfect balance between Julks aggressiveness and power, Hensleys patience, and can play 6 positions.
Jeremy Pena started off slowly so I think it's going a bit unnoticed but he's been playing a lot better lately, both at the plate and in the field. He leads the team in bWAR and is second on the team in fWAR. He's on pace for about 6.5 bWAR. Star level stuff.
@Snake Diggit What would we have to attach to move Abreu? Spoiler We’re stuck. New 1B Michael Brantley
It will not happen but he could be traded for another bad contract or as a financial offset to increase prospect return for another team. I have considered Abreu for Kris Bryant as a pretty fair deal. Of course that might be trading one bad contract for an even worse one.
