Snell has only gotten 1 offer and Bellinger 0, any chance Astros tries to offer any of them a short term deal but more per year. Or what they tried with Harper. One year deal but big money? Or at this stage of their career, they want long term to guarantee money over the risk of getting injured or struggling on a 1 year, big money deal?
I'm not sure I like this for either team. Obviously the Angels get 4 legitimate MLB players for 1 and it would help the pitching staff significantly but there is no all star here. Would the Angels move Trout for 4 secondary pieces? For the Astros Trout is a huge name and when healthy he really deepens the lineup, but can he stay healthy, and if he misses 25-50% of the season is he really an upgrade over 162 games of Chas? And if he is hurt, the postseason is the most likely time for him to miss as injuries effect time forward not time backward. And that's a lot of innings to give up including 2 arms that could likely be post season contributors.
Yes - in fact that is likely the only way they can pull it off. It is possible that they could come at someone like Snell with a 5-6 year deal for 180 million and see if he bites, and then let Bregman walk.... and address 3rd base in free agency or trade. However that would require Snell just insisting on a long term deal and no one else stepping up the offer we make. The most likely scenario would be the Astros offering 30 million or more on a one year deal - but that again would require another team not getting into a bidding war. I think the Astros know that Bregman and Tucker and Valdez will be very expensive - so they would spend money on a Snell or maybe a Bellinger and not resign one of their own upcoming free agents because the value of return for the money is higher.
Holy ****, we are now into the part of the off-season where all our shitty bench players are actually stars in the right situation. I feel like this forum said the same things about LJ Hoes, Robbie Grossman, and insert some other OF that was a complete whiff. Give me real MLB caliber bench players, if the goal is to win championships.
Well Spring training is right around the corner. If they have actual interest in either, why not try? Worst thing that can happen is they say is no
This last paragraph has been what I have been trying to will into existence for months. It makes sense. And it even allows us to trade some guys like Urquidy packages with Graveman or Montero (or and both- a girl can dream) because we get salary relief out of the deal and Urquidy bridles really superfluous for us with JV/Snell/Framber/Javier/brown/france/LMj and Garcia at the break. Not needed to eat innings- not good enough to pitch in the playoffs- good enough that someone needing 240 average ish innings would take on a bad contract from us. in essence- signing Snell pays for itself in year one if you can pull that kind of deal off- same with Bellinger if it could free up something like Meyers and another OF prospect plus LMj J as a salary dump. And then our FA walk down the line and don’t need to be replaced.
The Houston Astros have acquired IF/OF Trey Cabbage from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for RHP Carlos Espinosa.
Funny name aside I really love this move. Normally I would be curious why the team gave up on him..but it's the Angels. Had a huge power/speed year in AAA, can play 1B/RF, and is lefthanded. The Astros gave up a non throwaway prospect so I think Brown likes him quite a bit. Big K issue, but lot of upside if he can get it under control a little.
I remember him from a game last year. Just looked it up: July 16th: single vs Javier, double vs Javier, then single vs Kuhnel 3 for 3 w/ 2 RBI The strikeouts are through the roof but this is exactly the type of player I have been advocating for: corner OF/1B who can give Abreu some days off and hit vs RHP. FWIW he only had a 30% K rate vs RHP in AAA, vs 38% vs LHP. He is much better all around vs RHP which is good. According to fangraphs he still has 2 options left.
Wonder how old Espinosa actually is. I liked him a lot more than I do most prospects that get traded for guys in DFA limbo. Cabbage seems like a decent competition in the Singleton role, with added versatility. He had a 30-30 season last year in AAA, but I'm not really sure that he's likely to be a better player than, say, Joey Loperfido.
I like it even though I liked Espinosa quite a bit. Cabbage is basically Jacob Melton if Jacob Melton busts. Major strikeout risk but 30/30 potential from the left side with experience in the minors at every position except 2B and C. And he has 2 option years left.
Swap Meyers and McCormick and the balance would be Trout plus $41.5M Without the swap, the balance would be Trout plus $65.5M McCormick $30.1M excess value; Meyers $6.4M excess value.
They are both AAAA. Which is probably fine. I'd still like a bigger stick than anyone we've got on the bench . . . but probably won't see anything like that until trade deadline, if at all.
Chas has as much chance of playing 162 games as Trout. Even without Dusty, we just don't work the players that hard with the expanded playoffs needing fresh players at the end of the season.
I don't think that's really fair to say about Trey Cabbage just yet, the guy has had a grand total of like 50 plate attempts at the big league level. He's older than you'd like, but we have to remember, he lost a year of development due to everyone being afraid of the big bad beer bug....so that kind of thing will happen. In 22 he was crushing AA, last year he was crushing AAA. Now I'm not saying he's going to be anything special, but I think with a larger sample, and more time to adjust to the MLB I'd expectd him to be a better hitter than Jake Meyers.....though that's setting the bar REALLY low.
