So far, so good for James Click at the deadline as he has bolstered the Astros bullpen over the last couple of days. The addition of Graveman is the biggest move clearly, his stuff will really play at the back end of the pen, but do not sleep on Yimi Garcia. He might not have numbers that make you jump out of your chair, but he adds a really solid arm to the bullpen, something that they have really lacked overall. Adding to that, Garcia has big stuff, another thing that the Astros bullpen has really lacked this year. So where will they go now? Let's dive into a few options for the club ahead of the Friday deadline.
Starting Pitchers:
Max Scherzer- Washington Nationals
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This is the dream addition, giving the Astros rotation the thing they lack overall...THAT DUDE. Now look, it is no knock against any of the Astros starters, they have a fantastic starting staff with some super talented young arms that have a great chance of being that dude long term. For this team this season, they are just lacking the bonafide ace of the staff that you know for sure is getting the ball in game one of a series. Adding Max would give you this, while of course allowing you to shift another starter to the bullpen. We should not get ourselves too far down the road of thinking this is happening, the competition to get him is stiff and he still has to approve a deal. If the Astros are all in going for it, they must try everything they can to get him.
Jon Gray- Colorado Rockies
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He would be a solid addition to a club, but he is not what they are lacking. Problem is, the starting pitching market for trades is not great and he is one of the better known options. Would have no issue if you landed him, but of course it has to come at the right price.
Jose Berrios- Minnesota Twins
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The cost to get him will hurt, as it will take a top ten system prospect, plus more given that he is good and has years of control left. I would be fine with going for Berrios, but I would still be slightly hesitant given that I am still not completely there with him that he is the ace of a staff.
Other Names to Watch:
Relief Pitchers:
Ian Kennedy, Daniel Hudson, Daniel Bard, Brad Hand, Paul Fry
At this point I do not think the Astros will be adding more bullpen arms after adding three already this week, but you cannot rule it out. If they do add one more, odds are best that it is a lefty.
Position Players:
I really thought that Starling Marte would have been a great fit for them before Oakland jumped on him yesterday, paying a very steep price for a two month rental. I do not think the Astros feel they need to get another bat (as they should feel, this lineup is still stacked), but I think if there is a clear avenue to getting someone in the outfield that can shift Straw to the bench, they will. Whether it is a true centerfielder or a corner guy that shifts Tucker to center, I am not sure, but here are some names I think we should watch. Some of these guys are infielders that have played corner outfield spots.
Kris Bryant, Trea Turner, Whit Merrifield, Josh Harrison, Bryan Reynolds
Things to note here, I do not think they play much on the first two names (Bryant and Turner), but I think the idea of either really should be considered. Bryant is strictly a rental that you would play in right, but also gives you some protection at third if Bregman's legs just don't get right. I don't think the price would be as insane as you would think overall.
With Trea Turner, he to me is a dream scenario addition for the club. You add him and you play him in centerfield. Getting him will cost you big, but you have him through next year if you do and he would be your Correa replacement at short for at least a year. This is the kind of creative, over the top move I would be down for. Now with Turner testing positive for COVID-19 this week, I have no clue if that makes trading for him something that can or cannot be done.
So there are some of the names I think we must watch between now and Friday. I do not think that we should be upset if they do not make any other moves. They had one glaring need and so far, they have made themselves better in that spot. This team has a very real shot at winning it all, I think going over the top the next couple of days would be the best thing that they could do.
For more on the deadline, make sure you check out our latest episode of the Crawford Box-Cast, brought to you by Karbach Brewing.