Wabs said:

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JPN06 said:

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texasaggie2015 said:

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He won't.

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just stop with these "insider"'info. You can't possibly know that.

You'll probably end up being right, but it's not because of anything other than the Astros not typically offering these types of contracts.

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He's been pretty good with his info and always caveats with "just what I'm hearing". It's not like he's acting like he has deep insight into the internal workings of the organization.

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OK. Sounds like everyone enjoys it.

I was annoyed by the "definitive" answer on Tucker. He's by far my favorite Astro of this "generation". Also I'm sorry but the brother narrative is BS. If it were true, this regime would make a trade for Preston just to satisfy Kyle.

texasaggie2015 said:

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Can't wait to see the meltdown when Hensley plays DH tonight and Diaz is on the bench

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This is almost like talking about a no-hitter in the 6th inning. Don't tempt fate!

I mean he is a great player and a great Astros and I'd love yo keep him…but without any insider info into it I would have given it at least less that's 10% chance. We have young guys coming up, he's going to be expensive and the Astros don't play that game.

Yes I get it and I agree. He's probably a goner. But it doesn't have anything to do with Preston. If the Astros match the Yankees he's staying in Houston. Yes I know they won't.

JPN06 said:

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Wabs said:

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JPN06 said:

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texasaggie2015 said:

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He won't.

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just stop with these "insider"'info. You can't possibly know that.

You'll probably end up being right, but it's not because of anything other than the Astros not typically offering these types of contracts.

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He's been pretty good with his info and always caveats with "just what I'm hearing". It's not like he's acting like he has deep insight into the internal workings of the organization.

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Also I'm sorry but the brother narrative is BS. If it were true, this regime would make a trade for Preston just to satisfy Kyle.

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- And how do you know I'm posting BS??

- Yeah, they'll waste a roster spot on a guy who isn't even playing baseball in America just to appease a player. That sounds reasonable.

I'm not going to argue with you. Maybe you have info that I don't have. Otherwise I'm not sure how you can just say I'm wrong...

I also said it's what I've heard. I'm not stating it as a fact. I'm literally repeating what I've heard from people I'm close to that are very well connected. That's it. I don't see the big deal.

Pretty sure i saw Preston playing for the El Paso chihuahuas a couple of weeks ago.

JPN06 said:

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But it doesn't have anything to do with Preston.

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That's a definitive answer.

It's a lot like Correa was.

Never say never but we all know it ain't happening whether we have inside nuggets or not.

It is what it is.

The Astros against George Kirby: Dubón 4, Bregman 5, Tucker 9, Abreu 3, Diaz DH, McCormick 8, Peña 6, Julks 7, Maldonado 2

Blanco RHP

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 6, 2023

Good news, I didn't jinx it!

Many, many teams have signed siblings of stars to appease brothers. If that was a major factor, I'm sure the Astros would happily waste a AAA roster spot on a guy who is a pretty good AAA filler.

Btw, July 14th, wife is singing the national anthem for space cowboys vs chihuahuas in sugarland.

Hoping a yordan rehab assignment situation. For those who know the process, Is that possible?

A quick glance shows that Preston's last season in MLB was 2018, and he has a career OPS of under .700, a -1 WAR.

Are you sure we will be able to pry him away from whomever he's playing for? Also wouldn't that make Ted and the Astros a bit of a laughingstock if we brought him back after he'd been out of the league for half a decade?

No one suggest this to Bagwell.

MLB Trade Rumors: Top 50 Deadline Early July Edition

Listing out the top 15+ with burbs on the ones I find interesting:

1. Lucas Giolito
The #4 player on our recent Free Agent Power Rankings, Giolito is the only member of our top six free agents who has much of a chance to move at the deadline. That makes him a natural fit to top this list.
...
The White Sox could make him a qualifying offer if they hold onto him for the stretch run. That's theoretically possible given the divisional context, but they'd get much more future value if they traded him this summer. Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote in May that the Sox were unlikely to try to retain Giolito past the 2023 campaign.

2. Jeimer Candelario
Candelario is a virtual lock to move within the next few weeks. Washington signed the third baseman to a $5MM deal after he was non-tendered by the Tigers. The move has worked out beautifully, as the switch-hitting infielder has posted a .261/.338/.477 line with strong defensive metrics.

Nats' GM Mike Rizzo told Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic last week he was setting a high asking price on Candelario early in deadline season. That's understandable with a month to go, but the club eventually figures to pull the trigger on the best offer available. Candelario would be a fringe qualifying offer candidate, so Washington's best chance to recoup future value is by moving him this summer.

3. Scott Barlow
4. Jordan Montgomery
5. Jack Flaherty
Flaherty is unlikely to receive a QO. He wouldn't bring back a Montgomery return in trade, but he'd still have some appeal on the market. The right-hander is no longer the Cy Young caliber arm he showed in 2019, as various injuries have limited him over the past few seasons. He has had an up-and-down 2023 campaign, walking over 12% of opponents and posting a 4.60 ERA through 16 starts. Flaherty has decent strikeout and grounder marks, but he's more of a high-variance rotation add than a lock to start a playoff game at this point.

6. Marcus Stroman
Stroman isn't a true rental, as his contract contains a $21MM player option for next season. That's pure downside for an acquiring team he'd only exercise it if he has a disastrous second half or suffers a serious injury but the likeliest scenario is that Stroman continues pitching well and decides to test the open market. Stroman has publicly angled for an extension with the Cubs. The team has seemingly not shown the same interest. Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of the Athletic wrote over the weekend they were unlikely to explore a long-team deal before the trade deadline.

The Cubs can't issue Stroman a qualifying offer, since he has already received one in his career and players can't be tagged with a QO twice under the CBA. A trade would be the only way to land compensation if he declines the player option and the team is not interested in a new contract.

7. David Robertson
8. Shane Bieber
Bieber's trade candidacy rests more on the Guardians' pitching depth than their competitive window. While Cleveland has underperformed, they're still very much a postseason contender. The Guardians are two games back of the Twins in the AL Central. They were in a similar spot at this point last year before getting hot in September to run away with the division.


Trading Bieber strictly for prospects seems unlikely, but Cleveland could shop him in an effort to inject some life into the offense. Adding controllable outfield talent could be particularly welcome. It's a script Cleveland has followed on a few occasions in the past. Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger have all been shipped off as the organization's pitching development pipeline churns out similarly productive and less expensive young pitchers. Gavin Williams, Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee have all gotten to the big leagues this season.

Bieber hasn't been as dominant as he was a few years back. His velocity hasn't been the same since a 2021 shoulder injury and this year's 19.3% strikeout rate is the first below-average mark of his career. Even if he's no longer a Cy Young caliber hurler, Bieber looks the part of an effective #3 type. He's sixth in the majors with 110 2/3 innings pitched and sports a 3.66 ERA with plus control and a solid 46.3% grounder rate. The right-hander is making a hair over $10MM this season and is eligible for arbitration once more before hitting free agency.

9. Michael Lorenzen
10. Tommy Phan
11. Cody Bellinger
His exit velocities were still nowhere close to peak levels, but he'd dramatically sliced his strikeout rate to put together a well above-average overall batting line.

Bellinger isn't back to his MVP form, but he's amidst easily his best season since 2020. It's rare to find plus defensive center fielders with any kind of offensive upside. Bellinger can impact the game on both sides of the ball, even if it's now more of a contact-first profile than an all-around impact bat. He'll return to free agency next winter, likely by declining his end of a mutual option, making him a straightforward rental trade candidate. Unlike Stroman, Bellinger is eligible to receive a qualifying offer. The Cubs could land draft pick compensation, but they'd probably do better than that in trade.

12. Eduardo Rodriguez
Rodriguez just returned from a finger injury yesterday. He got lit up by the A's, but he carried a 2.13 ERA through 11 starts before landing on the shelf. The veteran southpaw has punched out over a quarter of opponents and shown his typically strong control. After his first season in Detroit was marred by injuries and personal issues, Rodriguez looks like the mid-rotation arm the Tigers expected when they signed him to a five-year, $77MM guarantee two offseasons back.


Few pitchers who could be available in trade have performed as well as Rodriguez has through the season's first half. Were he a pure rental, he might be at the top of this list. His contract makes a trade far trickier to execute. Rodriguez can opt out of the final three years and $49MM on his deal at season's end. He's ineligible for a qualifying offer on a non-competitive team. If the Tigers hold onto him past the deadline, there's a strong chance they lose him next winter for nothing.

On the other hand, the remaining money represents rather significant downside for a potential acquiring club. If Rodriguez suffers another injury or sees his performance tail off, the team could be saddled with a contract that looked like a landmine just a few months ago. It's a more extreme version of the downside present with Stroman, thereby pushing him down the list a few spots.

13. Lance Lynn
14. Mark Canha
15. Brooks Raley
Canha and Raley are the next tier down of Mets' trade candidates. Unlike Robertson and Pham, they're not certainly headed for free agency. New York could bring both players back via club option Canha at $11.5MM ($2MM buyout), Raley at $6.25MM ($1.25MM buyout). Both prices are a little lofty for their current production but not out of the question for a Mets' club that spends more freely than any other.

If New York is leaning towards a buyout on either player, they could make them available to a clearer '23 contender. Canha's a veteran righty bat who plays decent corner outfield defense. He's hitting .248/.344/.405 on the season, including a .239/.360/.437 mark against lefty pitching. Raley is a situational left-hander out of the bullpen. He owns a 2.35 ERA with an above-average 26% strikeout rate. He's been better against right-handers than lefties this season but carries traditional platoon splits over the course of his career.
...
20. Aaron Civale
To a lesser extent, Civale's trade candidacy follows the same logic as Bieber's. The Guardians have ample young pitching that could allow them to cash in a veteran arm for short-term offensive help. Civale isn't as appealing as Bieber. The 28-year-old righty has been more of a back-of-the-rotation type throughout his career. This year's 2.96 ERA over eight starts is more attributable to batted ball and sequencing fortune than an overhaul in his approach.

Civale is a control specialist with a 3.95 ERA in just shy of 400 career innings. It's #4 starter production on a rate basis, although he's battled injuries and never topped 125 MLB frames in a single season. Civale is making $2.6MM this year and eligible for arbitration twice more thereafter.

33. Josh Hader
34. Blake Snell
The Padres are riding a three-game win streak, pulling them to 41-46. They're six games out of a Wild Card spot with three teams to jump. It's an uphill battle but one an underperforming San Diego team feels they can achieve. Both president of baseball operations A.J. Preller (via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com) and chairman Peter Seidler said last week the team is still focused on contending this year.

San Diego probably isn't listening to trade offers on Hader or Snell yet. If they flounder again over the next few weeks, the standings might force the club's hand to put their impending free agents on the market. If that happens, Snell and Hader would vault near the top of this list in a hurry.

Others To Watch
Astros: Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers

texasaggie2015 said:

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Okay, and again, I'm simply just repeating what I've been told as I have all year long.

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I guess we will find out in 30 years when he writes the autobiography. I hope that I am still around to eat crow if was all due to butthurt about his journeyman brother.

all right, good lineup today

Yanier at 5; Chas at 6

Seattle's Kirby can be tough

he's gotten the decision in 14 of his 17 starts

Kirby is damn good. Love watching him pitch but I hope we rock him tonight.

Need Blanco to be good. The first inning will be big. Seems like he struggles early and settles in.

Ok well good banter. I hope Preston makes the show with the Padres and mashes so that Kyle forgive his massive massive grudge and stays in Houston on a hometown discount.

Beat the Mariners!

yep- Jose was not going to see any action until after the ASB anyway. gives Hensley a chance for some PT.

A few thoughts on trades:

• Very limited on lefty-handed or switch-hitting bats
• Don't like my top targets ended up being 1 and 2 on this list.
• The burb about the Indians "Adding controllable outfield talent could be particularly welcome." seems like a perfect landing spot for Jake and... I guess Chas
• Jake & Chas (not Julks) were both included. 2015 might actually know his *****
• I found it very interesting that Stroman & ERod have player options they can basically hang over teams if they suck or get hurt. That has to hurt their value.
• I think we can easily give the team a shot in the arm with some arms. Plenty of cheap looking rentals and bullpen options. I would love to get Raley back on the cheap.
• Still too many teams in limbo 3.5 weeks out.

I will say, Julks might be heating up at the right time. Maybe someone will see some value in him.

Jose Altuve said the MRI on his oblique revealed relatively good news. He did not want to get into a possible timeline, but the imaging revealed something more minor than he presumed it would be after he felt the initial pain on his swing.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 6, 2023

Chaz and Diaz starting back to back games! Did Dana have a little sit down with Dusty?!

Yordan Alvarez is running down balls in left field during an outfield drill.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 6, 2023