Bukauskas are potential bullpen or rotation options as well in 2019.īut righthanders Tyler Ivey (a 2017 third-round pick), Peter Solomon (a 2017 fourth-round pick) and Brandon Bielak (a 2017 11th-round pick) have developed into solid pitching prospects who have value in trades, and who also may be surplus to the Astros needs. Forrest Whitley is the best pitching prospect in baseball and righthanders Corbin Martin and J.B. Josh James (a 34th-round pick) will likely fit into the Astros big league rotation and bullpen. Next year at the deadline, the Astros will likely again have a surplus of talent available to trade. As long as the Astros keep drafting and developing late-round picks like they have, they can keep turning them into useful big league help. Houston has done a very good job of scouting and developing players like Laureano (a 16th-round pick) or Martin (eighth round) or Sandoval (11th round) or Teoscar Hernandez (who signed for $20,000). If the Astros can continue to develop prospects like they have in recent years, they have a renewable resource. The Mets continued to make budget buys at the trade deadline by adding first baseman Darin Ruf from the Giants for a four-player return centered on corner infielder J.D. Trade Central: Mets Land Ruf In Five-Player Swap Outfielder Brett Phillips (a 2012 sixth-round pick), catcher Jacob Nottingham (a 2013 sixth-round pick) and Daniel Mengden (a 2014 fourth-round pick) all netted big league value in trades. The pattern goes back further than just the past few years. Even as Houston’s big league success has pushed it to drafting at the back of the first round, these are the kind of picks every team can make every year. But the Astros have also traded away two third round picks, a fifth-round pick, an eighth, an 11th, and a 16th rounder. Cameron was a $4 million signee as a supplemental first round pick and Gilberto Celestino and Perez each signed for $1 million or more internationally. Notably, most of the players the Astros traded are later-round draft picks or international signees who signed for modest bonuses. Laureano would at least be the team’s fourth outfielder. Musgrove might fit in the back of the rotation. Of the players the Astros have traded, it is hard to find many who would play a significant role for the Astros in 2019 if they had been retained. While most of the current big leaguers the Astros traded have value elsewhere, they are surplus talent for Houston. The Astros got 46.5 percent of its pitching WAR last year from players it had acquired in recent trades. Those four pitchers provided 13.7 bWAR for the Astros just last season (and Pressly and Osuna only arrived at the July trade deadline). Davis, Franklin Perez, Trent Thornton, Patrick Sandoval, Jake Rogers and Daz Cameron could all play in the majors in 2019.īut the Astros have received Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Ryan Pressly and Roberto Osuna in return. Ramon Laureano, Colin Moran, Teoscar Hernandez and Joe Musgrove have all spent time in the majors so far. Some of those are very solid prospects and a few have already turned into useful big leaguers. Since the 2016 offseason began, the Astros have traded away 16 prospects. Many of them do not fit for them, but they have enough value to bring back either solid prospects or big league help in return. They have produced large numbers of useful outfielders as well as plenty of intriguing pitching prospects. Houston’s scouting and player development has allowed the Astros to produce a large number of big league caliber players. So, Houston traded him to acquire a younger, higher-ceiling prospect. He was never going to play extensively for a team that has better options at both corner infield spots. Much like fellow third baseman Colin Moran a year ago, Davis was entirely surplus to Houston’s needs. With his power and the improvements he made as a hitter and on defense last season at Triple-A, he could end up becoming the Mets everyday third baseman at some point.īut for now, the trade continues what has become a long-running trend for the Astros. At the worst, Davis should be a backup for the Mets this season at first and third base (and is also capable of serving as a emergency reliever as well). They landed the only player in the trade who is a surefire major league player. It’s not a major trade, and if Santana (or Ross Adolph or Scott Manea) doesn’t develop, it’s very possible it’s one the Mets could win. Davis to New York on Sunday and brought back in return Luis Santana, a promising teenaged middle infield prospect who is years away from the majors. With the Mets needing corner infield depth, the Astros sent third baseman J.D.
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