3 Trades I'd Love to See the Astros Make

I know I've done one of these before, but with the Astros playing the way they have been lately, and with July 31st fast approaching, the trade deadline is shaping up to be the only interesting thing left for Houston in this disappointing 2011 season. So why not? Let's take a look at three potential deals that I'd love to see the Astros make.

1. Astros trade Hunter Pence to the Padres for Mike Adams and various prospects

Look, I love Hunter just as much as the next Astros fan, but let's face it, the guy's getting expensive, and with Jason Bourgeois hitting the way he is right now, and newly-drafted George Springer possessing some big potential, I don't really mind parting with Pence at this point. The Padres aren't too far gone in an NL West division that is led by the young Diamondbacks, and everyone knows they're longing for a bat to stick in their lineup. Mike Adams is arguably the best reliever in the game right now, and because he plays in the overrated shadow of Heath Bell, he'd be a cheap way to solidify the worst bullpen in the majors. Think about this: Wilton Lopez in the 7th, Mark Melancon in the 8th, Adams closing out the 9th. Now that's not too shabby. And with the Padres' decent farm system, this deal could shape up to be a winner for the 'Stros.

2. Astros trade Clint Barmes to the Reds for Ryan Hanigan

While I don't think prospects would be necessary to cement this trade, if they were needed, I wouldn't mind throwing them in. It's no secret that the Astros need a catcher, and it's also no secret that the Reds are dissatisfied with Paul Janish's performance at the plate. Both players are defensive whizes, and while Barmes hasn't exactly hit the cover off of the ball, he still projects to have better potential with the bat than Janish does. Hanigan is expendable for Cincinnati, as they have a competent backstop already in Ramon Hernandez, and carrying two decent catchers may soon become a luxury they can't afford. The Astros, meanwhile, would surely be happy to plug in Hanigan over the woeful Carlos Corporan or J.R. Towles behind the plate. Barmes hasn't exactly lived up to his billing when he was signed this offseason, so I'm not thinking too many Houston fans would be sad about this trade.

3. Astros trade Carlos Lee to the Mariners for anything they offer, including Jack Cust

The M's are hurting for a bat like no other team in the league, and even though Seattle management is notorious for shying away from paying big money for anybody, I think that at this point Ed Wade and Co. would be willing to swallow a hefty chunk of Lee's contract to get him out of town. Since the Mariners play in the AL, Lee could obviously be placed in the DH spot, giving the team at least a little bit more pop then they had before. While I'd be very surprised to see anyone jump at the chance to acquire the overweight underachiever, Seattle might be the one place desperate enough to attempt it, as they're only two games behing the Rangers right now, and stand absolutely no chance of winning the division if they don't add some hitting to complement their fantastic young hurlers. The Astros could finally place Bourgeois in left field everyday, giving everyone in Houston reason to celebrate.

Those are my ideas. What's yours?

Why Realignment Is a Bad Idea

It was a rumor that quickly disseminated among the different factions that cover baseball extensively, and it was due to its baseball-channels-only appearance (I'm talking MLB Network) that I didn't give much credence to what I thought was the laughable notion of Major League Baseball realigning their divisions and leagues. Now that the idea has picked up some real steam, and particularly because the Astros have been rumored to be the top candidate to switch leagues, it seems we have a hot topic to cover here.

I'll just say this immediately: I don't like the idea of realignment. I'm fine with adding more playoff teams if Bud Selig really wants to, (and it is a sensible notion, as MLB could use a bit more money to catch up with its other professional sports counterparts) but I feel it's unnecessary to move teams around. The division scheme has worked just fine for a long while now, and ridding the league of divisions would seem to me to be change for the sake of change.

What's more, once I heard that the Astros were supposed to be the team switching over to the American League, due to the oh-so-important "natural rivalry" that it would create between them and the Texas Rangers, I became a staunch opponent of the realignment scheme. I can sorta see why MLB would want to construct two 15-team leagues, but only in the vein of eliminating divisons and playing a round-robin, completely balanced schedule where every team plays every other team. Moving the Astros over to the AL West does nothing to further that cause, and even if a "rivalry" were really to gain steam when the Astros played the Rangers, I still feel like MLB would lose money in the deal. Here's why: less Astros games would be watched by fans, period. The reason would be all of those late night West Coast games that the 'Stros would be playing against teams like Seattle, Los Angeles, and Oakland. The Astros would also have to foot more money to get a DH, something that Drayton McClane would have never been happy about, and something Jim Crane probably isn't pleased with either. If I were Crane, I'd tell Selig to shove it and move the Brewers back over to the AL, as they started this whole mess in the first place.

And anyway, why should the Houston/Texas rivalry take precedence? Let's face it, everyone who reads or writes on this blog is a huge Texas baseball lover, but the state's heart will always lie with football. Why shouldn't the Mets move over to create a "rivalry" with the Yankees? Move the Dodgers over to the AL West to create a natural rivalry between them and the Angels. Move Cincinnati over so they can play the Indians and get a kick out of that. Honestly, I get the feeling that no one really cares whether we beat the Rangers or not every season. It seems to always be a blowout one way or the other, as the Astros dominated the series up until a few seasons ago, and now the Rangers look to blow Houston away in 2011. A Chicago-Chicago or New York-New York same league rivalry would be much more interesting and lucrative.

So lastly, I've decided on how to realign the sport on the off chance that Selig gives me a call and charges me with the job. Two 15-team leagues (Arizona moves over to the American League, as they apparently are itching to do), the DH is eliminated. A nearly completely balanced schedule is constructed where every team plays every other team the same number of times. Five playoff spots go to each league. Boom, bing, bang. We're done. And guess what? The AL will still complain that they don't have enough spots, since the Yankees and Red Sox are likely to take two of them every year. Well news flash, three of the past six season have seen a team other than the Yanks or Sox win the AL East. That's right, the Rays have been the darlings of the division lately, and they've been doing it with sabermetrics, smart management, and a payroll that's nearly smaller than Alex Rodriguez's yearly salary.

So stop complaining, Toronto and Baltimore, because you're not that good in the first place, and it's not impossible to scale the mountain that is the AL East. Realignment is unnecessary, and what's more, it could hurt another struggling team's chances to get out of the hole.

Game 62: Astros 4, Cardinals 1

Ah, baseball is a cold, cold sport, and just when you think it won't stab you in the back, it does. The Houston Astros' young phenom, Bud Norris, took a no-hitter into the 7th and continued his string of stellar performances against the Cardinals as the home team broke their 4-game losing streak by securing a 4-1 win on Wednesday night.

That the no-hit bid was broken up by none other than former Astro Lance Berkman doesn't diminish the fantastic performance that Norris turned in, particularly since his last outing against the Redbirds was uncharacteristically weak. The final line for Norris read like this: 8 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 2 K. Bud is a power pitcher, but he wasn't exactly blowing by hitters tonight, relying more on ground ball outs and multiple double plays turned by Jeff Keppinger and Clint Barmes. Norris gave up multiple leadoff walks, and he never really looked comfortable out on the bump, but he managed to work through trouble and take one of the more surprising no-hit bids deep into a contest against what is perhaps the best offense in the majors.

The offense helped him out, as Hunter Pence extended his hit streak to a strong 19 games by hitting one of the deepest balls I've ever seen in Minute Maid Park- a triple that landed at the very peak of Tal's Hill, scoring Keppinger for the game's first run. Carlos Lee followed with a groundout, bringing Pence in from third. The Legend of Jason Bourgeois manufactured a run later in the 5th by singling, stealing second, advancing to third, and then scoring on a Jason Michaels single. After Puma's homer in the 7th, the 'Stros added an insurance run in the 8th when J. R. Towles doubled and was driven in by pinch-hitter Michael Bourn. Mark Melancon worked the ninth, giving up just a double to Albert Pujols, and securing his sixth save in eight tries. Don't even get me started on the impending ousting of Melancon from the closer's spot.

So here's my newest quandary: just how long will Brad Mills and Co. keep Bourgeois out of the starting lineup? I've already posted a rant about how much he belongs in the regular nine every single day, but I'm just not sure that the Astros' brass will have the guts to stick him in there in place of someone else. Keppinger is back and hitting fine, so second base isn't really an option. He can't reasonably play anywhere else in the infield. Bourn and Pence are pillars in their respective positions, and that leaves just Lee. While Ed Wade is hopefully looking to deal the left fielder at or before the deadline, I just don't see him or anybody else approving a move of Bourgeois into the starting left field spot and opting to sit the $13 million man who supposedly can still hit. It's a shame, because Bourgeois is picking up where he left off before the injury, and he's a huge upgrade defensively in the outfield. It's just another joy of being an Astros fan...but hey, we got through that whole Bill Hall thing didn't we?

The rubber game starts at 7:05 tomorrow, with J.A. Happ going against the rookie Lance Lynn.

Say hello to the newest Houston Astro, George Springer

The Houston Astros were rumored to already have been working out a deal with Stanford lefty Chris Reed on draft day 2011. When that didn't pan out, it still seemed that picking a pitcher was a given. Bobby Heck surprised everyone again, opting to go with his fourth position player for the first round pick in as many years. I won't lie, I was rather disappointed that the team didn't select Taylor Jungmann, mostly because I attend UT Austin, but also because I've seen him pitch multiple times this year, and I can tell you that all they hype surrounding him is certainly merited. That Jungmann went to the division rival Milwuakee Brewers on the very next pick only made it worse. However, the more I read about the Astros' first pick, George Springer, the more excited I get about seeing this guy come to Houston.

Springer has had an incredible career at the University of Connecticut at every level; many say that he is by far the best player to ever come out of the program. Indeed, his freshman and sophomore years alone are a testament to how well the guy can hit. He batted .347 with 34 homers, 119 RBIs, and 30 doubles, in a total of just 120 games. In 2010 he had an OBP of .491. Yeah, those were his numbers as an underclassman. The dude can rake, and while some contend that his stats are inflated because of the less-than-stellar pitching in the Big East, Springer has played well in all levels of ball, setting record after record at his high school. Many big college programs wanted him, but opting to stay in his home state shows a certain amount of loyalty, a quality that would be appreciated by a club that has often failed to sign and develop its first rounders.

Springer is said to be a five-tool guy. He hits for a high average, his power is impressive, and he's speedy on the basepaths, as evidenced by his 45 steals in '09-'10. He's a rangy center fielder who has great defensive ability, and the asset that has been the most widely acclaimed is his cannon of an arm. It will be interesting to see whether the Astros choose to keep Springer in center field, as his gun might tempt them to move him over to right, seeing as he could throw out a lot more guys from over there. Scouts have said that he has the highest ceiling in the draft, and many have stated that he's the best athlete on the board. In fact, the player that MLB Network compared him to when showing his skills was none other than Hunter Pence. Could Springer one day be beside Pence, roaming the outfield at Minute Maid Park? Astros fans sure hope so, though it's not outlandish to think that the club might have been acquiring the UConn product to replace Pence, when or if he is traded or signs somewhere else.

The only problem that I've read about Springer lies in his swing mechanics. Mechanics are something that are never, ever missed by scouts when they're checking out a player. That the reports dropped Springer pretty quickly on their board due to his supposed swing flaws is worrying, but it's also something that is not impossible to fix. Springer is said to have a dip in his swing, one that has become more pronounced this year than in the past. Guys who have a dip or a lift in their swings are solved pretty fast by crafty pitchers, and all it takes is a couple scouting reports for the opposing hurlers to start throwing high to Springer all game long. However, Springer shouldn't reach the majors anytime within the next three years, if that, so he'll be getting a lot of time to sort things out in the minors. It's a bit disheartening, but if he's placed in a low league and his kinks are worked out, scouts say the potential is there for George Springer to be a middle of the order hitter for many years to come.

And the Astros sure would like that.

Game 56: Astros 3, Cubs 1

For one sunny afternoon at least, the Houston Astros looked like a team that could actually make some noise in the weak National League Central. The team completed their first series sweep of the season by locking down the Cubs bats, thanks to a fantastic outing by Brett Myers that somehow still managed to make me nervous throughout. Myers went six innings, giving up just one earned run (a leadoff homer to Kosuke Fukudome) on three hits, with two walks and three strikeouts. Myers has dominated the Cubs throughout his career, and he ran his record against the North-Siders to 12-3 complete with a 2.12 ERA. The big righty still fell behind in counts and still relied on his breaking ball way too much, but I'm starting to think that's what we're going to get out of Brett Myers this year and the team is just going to have to learn to deal with it. All in all, he had a fine start, and he kept the team in the game long enough to secure the win.

While the Astros bats worried me mightily throughout the contest, Michael Bourn came through in the clutch again, driving in the winning runs off of lefty specialist Sean Marshall, who had owned Bourn in their last few meetings. In fact, in Bourn's career against Marshall, he got a hit in his first at-bat, then proceeded to strike out six straight times against him. He seemed to figure things out on Wednesday, as he laced a hit over Carlos Pena's head to bring home Jeff Keppinger and Chris Johnson.

Bourn's performance of late deserves a bit of a spotlight. He's billed as a run creator, not a run producer, but he's defied that notion in the past few games, collecting 3 RBIs in just the last two contests against the Cubs. He now leads the league in stolen bases, as he swiped two on Wednesday afternoon, bringing his season total to 22. I'm just saying, is there anything this guy can't do? In a previous post, I contended that Hunter Pence was the Astros' best player, but Bourn seems hellbent to prove me wrong. He's second to none in center field, he's the premier base stealer in the league, and he has now begun to hit with regularity, even against tough lefties. Yes, Pence may still be the BEST player in Houston, but Bourn is certainly the most valuable to the team, and it seems to me that he had a very large part in this sweep of the rival Cubbies.

SERIES PREVIEW: Houston Astros (22-34) vs. San Diego Padres (24-31), June 2-5, PETCO Park

Game 1:
9:05 pm- Bud Norris (2-4, 3.76 ERA) vs. Tim Stauffer (1-3, 3.60 ERA)

Game 2:
9:05 pm- J.A. Happ (3-6, 4.66) vs. Dustin Moseley (1-6, 3.18)

Game 3:
7:35 pm- Aneury Rodriguez (0-2, 5.40) vs. Aaron Harang (5-2, 3.88)

Game 4:
5:35 pm- Jordan Lyles (0-0, 1.29) vs. Mat Latos (3-6, 3.97)

The Astros play their second four-game series against the Padres in 2011, though this time they'll be doing it in the cavernous confines of PETCO Park. If there's one advantage the road team has in this one, it's that the Friars absolutely can't score runs (they're 28th in the league in runs scored, 28th in BA and 30th in OBP). The Astros can at least hit a little better than that, and it's safe to say that the Padres rotation isn't one to instill fear in opposing batters by name recognition alone. However, they're a solid bunch, even if Latos is following up a career year with a dud. This should be an interesting series, just like the one in Houston was.

Prediction: It's never any fun to predict a split, and that's why I hate four-game series. But that's what I'm taking if I'm putting money down. I'll say Bud finally breaks out of his slump and beats Stauffer. Happ will continue his great run of late and oust Moseley, the least lucky pitcher in the bigs. Harang dominated the Astros in Houston, and I don't see why he shouldn't do it again. I'd like to pick Lyles to get a major league win before he's sent back to AAA, but I don't see him getting it done against the dangerous Latos. However, if the bats can come to life in monstrous PETCO, a series win is very possible, and another sweep isn't out of the question.