Looking for wild trade deals for Astros' starting pitching? Check out LarryTheGM for lower cost, high-risk options that may surprise you!
Most Astros fans would agree the Astros NEED SP. Who should they get? We answered that here with real options.
Check out all of the Trade Deadline Info at our Astros/ MLB: 2024 Trade Deadline Headquarters.
In the trade deadline needs article I said this:
"All this is to say the Astros need at least one SP and possibly two. The challenge for the Astros in getting a SP or even two SP is that the franchise does NOT have a ton of tradeable assets."
Here are the biggest issues facing the Astros and most teams this trade deadline trying to get SP.
More teams are going to want to buy SP than will want to sell SP
MOST good SP, even on teams not going anywhere are not available because teams will want them for next year
Of all of the teams really wanting to buy SP, the Astros have the least surplus value of player to use as trade capital.
Injuries are destroying SP in a sports world battle for survival. Ninety SP are currently out with injuries. (per Fangraphs.com Roster Resource)
26 are out for the season (2 Astros)
8 are questionable for the season
38 have no timetable for return (3 Astros)
In that pitcher trade article, I concluded with these five pitchers.
I provided an analysis of the Flaherty trade.
The other options here can lead to more wild opportunities. Consider these the lower cost, higher risk, and probably lower impact wild deal options that may be more realistic for our Houston Astros to get Starting Pitching. This will include some wild deals that might blow your mind.
You may want to reference this article as I put together these wild options.
Option #1- Andrew Heaney- Texas Rangers- Flaherty Plan B
Heaney could be a big help to the Astros. If the team could not get Flaherty, I would make the call to the Rangers. Would the Rangers trade Heaney?
He is a rental. He is making $12.5M AAV. Trading for him in the next week means the Astros would likely need to assume $4-4.5M of his salary. If the Rangers decide they are out, they might trade Heaney.
Heaney is now listed in the BaseballTradeValues.com website of having a value of only 0.7. What if the Astros offered these sorts of trade options?
Quincy Hamilton
Colin Barber
Jaime Melendez
Jayden Murray
Any of those would be a fair value. I would do it today.
Option #2- Nick Martinez- Cincinnati Reds- A little Crazy?
Martinez makes $13M AAV and has a $12M AAV player option for 2025. The Astros would have to take on $4M-4.5M for the rest of the 2024 salary to pay.
Martinez now has a -3 Trade Value. He is having a career type year at age 33. There is risk. However, my vision for Martinez would be as a swing SP and long RP.
What if the Astros gave the Reds a couple of the throw in type prospects we listed and had the Reds take half of the remaining 2024 AAV? I think it could get the deal done.
Crazy Wild Option #3- Jameson Taillon- Chicago Cubs
I ask that you hear me out before rejecting this one.
Here are Taillon's Stats.
That looks like a pitcher that could help the Astros even if it was just to get a 5.2 IP start every 5th day per the projection.
Why is Taillon's trade value -13.1? He is 32 and makes $17M AAV and is under contract in 2025 and 2026 too. Financially, this deal would likely suck.
BUT
What if I had a way to make it hurt less?
The Cubs are a likely seller, but they are not terrible. Their RP needs help. The Catching has been terrible. They could be convinced if they got a decent prospect.
What if
The Astros gave the Cubs Montero as another option for their Bullpen?
The Astros gave the Cubs Salazar as an improvement for their catchers?
The Astros gave the Cubs Leon as a promising prospect bat?
This deal would cut the financial pain significantly in 2024 and 2025. It would actually work as a reasonable deal.
If the Astros could actually rid themselves of Montero AND get themselves a SP that could possibly help them, it would be a HUGE win.
This fan base might riot if these were the deals that the Astros make at the trade deadline. I can see any of these three deals working. Call them wild or call them stupid. These are my lower cost, high risk, variable reward trade options for the Houston Astros for Starting Pitching.
Join Clint and I on my YouTube Channel to deep dive into everything Trade Deadline related.
7/25/24 at 8:00PM
Notice the time on this article vs. the Athletic article. WE told you that Taillon was an option first.
Astros among teams expressing interest in Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon: Sources - The Athletic (nytimes.com)