Roy Oswalt Trade-Who Should The Astros Be Looking At?

With the trade deadline now six days away in Houston we've been waiting for over a month now for the team to pull the trigger on Roy Oswalt. The complication is the fact that he has a no trade clause and wants whatever team who picks him up to guarantee his $16 million option for next season. There appears to be two front runners and a dark horse in this competition. The Cardinals and Phillies followed by the Dodgers. Oswalt apparently is willing to restructure his deal with the Cardinals if he ends up in St Louis. As much as I'm a big believer of not trading within your own division the Cardinals minor league system is fairly stacked and have the most to offer...and of course Houston fans would still get to see Oswalt when he comes to town to visit. Which is the amazing thing about Astros fans, they're not blaming Roy, they want him to have a chance to get a ring and know he'd be in the Cy Young discussion if he had a better offense behind him.

So, let's evaluate who I believe the Astros should target in this sweepstakes.

St Louis Cardinals
I never really knew how deep their farm system is until I began looking at players to trade for. Now some will say I may be asking too much for one player, but Roy's numbers are as good as the other Roy's, he just doesn't get the recognition since he doesn't play on the East Coast.

1. Jaime Garcia, SP, MLB
9-4 2.21 ERA 90K 24 years old.

This should be their number one target. Someone on the Cardinals rotation will be losing a spot and though Garcia has been dynamite this year how badly do you want the Wizard of O who has been lockdown? If I'm Houston, I'll accept Blake Haawksworth, but I want the rest of the players I mentioned as well instead of two of the three. Another bonus for Houston is Jamie went to high school in Mission, Texas and they love bringing the home town kids in.

2. Allen Craig, LF, AAA
.308 11HR 65RBI 26 years old

With Matt Holliday on the team for a good long while Craig doesn't have much hope of moving to the MLB team on a permanent basis. Yes, he spent some time in majors this season and didn't do fantastic but it was his first real prolonged trip and he's been a consistent hitter in the minors. I'm a big believer that Carlos Lee should be sent packing ASAP so by trading for Craig you can allow him to play in the majors for the rest of the season.

3. Matt Carpenter, 3B, AA
.320 8HR 36RBI 25 years old

For my money the Astros biggest problem position is third base. Why they paid money for Pedro Feliz I'm not sure, but it is what it is. I'd try to get a bag of balls and some bats for him at this rate. Chris Johnson has shown promise, but nothing I would say I feel comfortable about not having insurance. Carpenter has only spent two season in the minors and has been a rocket ship playing his way up to AA this year. Another local kid from Sugar Land when it comes to positional players this is a must have in this trade.

4. Manuel De La Cruz, P, Rookie League
4-0 1.04 ERA 23K 20 years old

The most impressive of the Cardinals really young pitching this is an attempt to actually bolster the Astros fairly benign farm system. If Cruz continues to pitch as he has this year he easily could be on the fast track to the majors in three years time...or less.

Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are at a disadvantage, their farm system has been depleted over the last few years. They're gonna have to offer up a great bounty to surpass the Cardinals.

1. Jayson Werth, OF, MLB
.280 13HR 52RBI 31 years old

In Houston Werth would be moved to the Left Field and Carlos Lee would be shipped to Chicago, Detroit, somewhere else where he can be DH. Now the problem with Werth is his contract is up at the end of the season. By moving Lee they could afford Werth, but would he stay around for the rebuild being 31? At the very least the Astros should get some draft picks.

2. Drew Naylor, P, AA
9-7 3.86 73K 24 years old

The big right handed Aussie shows how little the Phillies farm system is. They traded a lot away last two years for Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. Their AAA team is filled with 30 year olds. A former bullpen he's done well with starting and has a nasty curve ball.

3. Jesus Sanchez, P, A+
8-5 2.69 71K 23 years old

Jesus Sanchez is the last remaining prospect from when the Phillies traded Abreu to the Yankees. A former catcher turned pitcher he still has plenty of years ahead of him and gives the Astros another solid arm in their farm system.

4. Jonathan Singleton, 1B, A
.307 11HR 55RBI 19 years old

This is the real gem of the trade. The Phillies are HUGE on Singleton as they should be, this kid is the real deal. They would have to give up Singleton to be able to surpass the Cardinals. I'm not quite sure that Houston has someone as quality to eventually replace Berkman at first base. Being 19 there is no immediate pressure to bring him up to majors any time soon.

5. Cesar Hernandez, 2B, A short
.284 0HR 14RBI 9SB 20 years old

A throw in since Naylor and Sanchez don't bring too much and Werth could be gone sooner rather than later. I chose Hernandez for one reason, speed. The guy has 9 stolen bases in 34 games and you can just imagine a line up that one day would have the combined speed of Hernandez and Bourn.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are in an interesting situation. They are only 6 games out of the first place Padres, but they don't have anyone on the MLB roster they can really give up for Oswalt. So for them to even get into the race they're going to have to give up some prized prospects.

1. John Ely, SP, AAA
3-1 3.24 16K 24 years old

Arguably the Dodgers most prized pitching prospect, he'd have to be involved in an Oswalt trade. The Astros would likely bring him up the minute he arrived in town and let him get his feet wet for the rest of the season. Some would argue sending James McDonald, but those are Dodger fans who don't want to lose Ely.

2. Russ Mitchell, 3B, AAA
.318 16HR 61RBI 25 years old

In a certain sense Mitchell would be the key for me in the trade. I think he could come up to MLB and begin contributing immediately for the Astros. Adding Mitchell to the team would give the Astros a very talented young infield, with a the replacement for Berkman the next piece.

3. Jerry Sands, 1B, AA
.281 9HR 20RBI 23 years old

Sands shows some great promise, but may be lacking the power you want from a first baseman. Still he is one of the better hitters for the Dodgers' AA team and should be able to compete for the MLB team in two years.

4. Christ Withrow, P, AA
3-5 5.09 82K 21 years old

This kid has a great deal of potential to be a strikeout machine. He's still young at 21, already in AA and strikes out batters like a mother. He has a lot to work still to do to make the MLB, especially if his home stadium is a hitters park like Minute Maid.

5. Ethan Martin, P, A+
9-8 5.23 85K 1 Complete Game 21 years old

Like Withrow Martin is a strike out machine but needs to get that ERA down. What is promising is that he had a complete game this year. That means the talent is there just has some work. Adding Withrow and Martin to their farm system gives the Astros a pair of possible aces for the future.

Trade Deadline Looms

With the trade deadline tomorrow I came up with some major last minute trades that I would make if I were certain ballclubs. Yes, this list is going to shock you. It will probably make you shake your head and call me ignorant, retarded or just down right stupid. I went through all the teams that need something, want to give something away and everything in between and the following is what I have come up with.


Boston Red Sox trades Manny Ramirez, OF to the New York Mets for Fernando Martinez, OF; Jon Niese, P; Eddie Kunz, P; and Nick Evens, 1B.

Boston's Reasons-The excuse of Manny being Manny can only last so long. They may finally be ready to deal Manny and let him be someone else's headache, but only as long as it is in the NL. Sign him to the option, then ship his happy ass to NYC. They get quality prospects in return, and where they have a lot of great young talent there others are starting to show their age.
New York's Reasons-They trade the top half of their farm to Minnesota in the offseason for Johan, but their bats aren't as lively as they have been. They give up their remaining best prospects for the man who probably has the most natural talent in baseball and reap the rewards this year rather then later.

Houston Astros trade Roy Oswalt, P to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jason Donald, SS; Greg Golson, CF and Fabio Castro, P

Houston's Reason-Their team is starting to look like the Giants of last year and they need to replenish their prospects, especially after the Tejada trade. Oswalt has had a good career in Houston, but it's time to rebuild and not look at the past. They get three players who could be at the major league level next year, if not this year.
Phillies' Reason-Though their pitching has been decent, it does lack the playoff pitching experience. The Mets trade for Manny they need a veteran like Oswalt to be their rock next to Hamels. Donald and Golson weren't moving to the big league level for a long time considering what's in front of them so it doesn't hurt their depth all that much.


San Francisco Giants trade Barry Zito, P to the New York Yankees for Chris Malec, 3B; Austin Jackson, CF; and Chase Wright, P

Frisco's Reason-Barry is a huge dead weight for them right now, with a huge contract that may prevent them from doing a whole lot in the offseason. This team needs to continue their youth movement and these are three quality prospects. The only question is, could they actually get this much for Zito with how poorly he's pitched?
New York's Reason-The Yankees have a glaring need for starting pitching. It almost feels like 3 out of 5 starts are guys I've never heard of and keep getting rotated and given a shot. Zito has pitched well before and Giraldi may be able to fix whatever has caused him to forget how to play like a major leaguer and not Kevin Brown. It could work out beautifully or it could completely backfire, but it's the kind of big name splash the boss loves.

Cincinnati Reds trade Bronson Arroyo, P to the Texas Rangers for Tommy Hunter, P and Elvis Andrus, SS.

Cincinnati's Reason-They're one of many teams who are rebuilding, or in their case building over from scratch, and has shown some promise. Arroyo does not make or break that ball club so trading him to a team trying to make the playoffs could gain them some beautiful bounty.
Texas' Reason-I am a firm believer that with the offense they currently have the Rangers can make the playoffs, if they get quality pitching. Hell, with that offense they could win it all if they only had some pitching. Arroyo would be the first step towards that goal, but not the last one.

San Diego Padres trade Greg Maddux, P and Trevor Hoffman, P to the Texas Rangers for Chris Gradoville, C; Jordan Stewart, P; John Mayberry, OF; Paul Kometani, P; and Warner Madrigal, P.

San Diego's Reason-The fans would hate it, at first. Losing Hoffman who has been the face of the franchise since Gwynn retired is loved in San Diego. They need some prospects who actually work out though and they could get steals from Texas for Maddux and Hoffman. I think Maddux would even ok it, to get the shot at another ring.
Texas' Reason-Adding to quality veterans to your roster like Maddux and Hoffman when you're trying to win a title with a young team I believe raises your chances to the next level. Maddux has pitched in countless playoff games, having him being there and being a leader by example would be a great tool for the Rangers. It takes quality prospects, but like the man says to make money you gotta spend money.

Colorado Rockies trade Brian Fuentes, P to the Chicago White Sox for Miguel Negron, OF; John Lujan, P and Matthew Long, P

Colorado's Reason-They're out of the hunt and Fuentes isn't getting any younger. Giving him to a playoff team and reaping the rewards of prospects when you're in clear need of a few is a chance you shouldn't hesitate at. We all know you went to the World Series last year, but that seems more or a fluke right now then anything. Bottom line is, you're not going anywhere right now.
Chicago's Reason-Yes, they have Bobby Jenks, but who do they have in front of him? Chicago is playing out of their minds right now and should do what they can to give them some bullpen insurance before one of the other playoff teams do.

Oakland A's trade Justin Duchscherer, P to the St Louis Cardinals for John Jay, CF; Jess Todd, P; Bryan Anderson, C; Francisco Samuel, P

Oakland's Reason-Billy Beane and his Moneyball should never be question. Jay and Anderson are his type of hitters with some high OBP. Todd and Samuel show real promise in the minors, especially Samuel who could be their future closer (see below). The important thing is all four have a real chance of getting to the big league club THIS year.
St Louis' Reason-Their pitching right now is horrendous. No one knew how they were playing so well before the All Star game, but now the cracks are beginning to show. I think with a quality starting pitching like Duke they could regain their momentum and fight for a playoff spot, cause that's exactly what it's going to be in the NL, Thunderdome.

Oakland A's trade Huston Street, P to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andy LaRoche, 3B and Scott Elbert, P.

Oakland's Reason-Street is still young, but they have a plethora of young pitching and Street has shown some durability issues. LaRoche is the big steal here, as he is probably expendable by LA cause of DeWitt and Blake now. He is though not enough for a one on one trade. Elbert has shown some promise like LaRoche could be traded and be on the big league club right away.

LA's Reason-Who would have guessed it in April that the Dodgers and not the DBacks would be sitting in first? The bottom line is Torre needs some pitching, especially one reliever and one starter. Street gives him a proven reliever. Torre has proven in the past he doesn't need thousands of prospects to succeed in the league.

Houston Astros trade Carlos Lee,OF to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Bryan Byrne, 1B; Rusty Ryal, 2B; and Alex Romero, OF.

Houston's Reason-To put it simply Carlos Lee is horrendous in the field. Yes, he'll hit every now and then but he has a short left field and couldn't stop a five hundred pound man from reaching the wall. They are in need of quality prospects, which is what Byrne, Ryal and Romero are.
Arizona's Reason-Their team is fairly solid, but missing some pop. They have the pitching in place, and the outfield is fairly solid, except in one spot. Lee would also give them a home run potential I'm not sure is really there right now. Bottom line is, if they want to join in on the Thunderdome they need to make some kind of move.

Toronto Blue Jays trade AJ Burnett, P to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Francisco Lizarraga, SS; James McDonald, P and Lucas May, C.

Toronto's Reason-They're out of the picture this year, but they do show some promise. I think Burnett is expendable for the Blue Jay and a young catcher is what they really need since both of their's are in their mid 30s. That of course means May is the key to this deal and could be a great player for Gaston.
LA's Reason-As I said before they need another starting pitcher to really make that final push and Torre knows Burnett fairly well from managing the Yankees. They can afford to lose May since no one sees Russell Martin going anywhere anytime soon.

Now the final big trade, and sorry Dews it is not Sherrill, the Os I don't think will be able to get the price their asking for.

Pittsburgh Pirates trade Jason Bay, OF to the Detroit Tigers for Jeff Frazier, OF; William Rhymes, 2B; Daniel Christianson,P; Casey Fien, P; Josh Rainwater, P and Jonah Nickerson, P.

Pittsburgh's Reason-They would need a killer bounty to trade Jason Bay and I think that is exactly what the Tigers could give them. The key to all six of these players are they are ready, next year or the year after that ready for the majors. The Pirates have a major youth movement going on and a move like this could give them some of those key people they need to succeed in the future.
Detroit's Reason-Sheffield isn't 100%, Thames hasn't been playing as well as he should and they're in a dog fight in the Central with the White Sox and Twins. I think Bay is a Leland type player and would excel big time with his first big opportunity to play in the playoffs. They once again give up a lot, but they get maybe the best player on the lower tier teams out there. As I have typed this the Tigers have traded Pudge to the Yankees for Kyle Farnsworth. Finally, the only pitcher ever to charge the plate is playing in Detorit, long live the Bad Boys.