The non-waive trading deadline has passed and luckily both Sonny Gray and Yu Darvish where traded so I don’t have to listen to media talk about them until they pitch for their new teams this week.
Now of course teams can still make trades, but a player has to pass through waivers before he can be traded. If a player is put on waivers by their team and they’re claimed by another team I believe there are three choices the team can make with that player. They can pull him back off of waivers and keep him. They can attempt to work out a trade with the team that claimed him on waivers. Or they can simple let the team that claimed the player on waivers have him. The third option doesn’t happen to often, but if a player has a lot of money on his contract the team that claimed him on waivers and was allowed to take him would be responsible for the remained if that players contract.
With the non-waiver trade deadline past there of course are winners and losers and while it seems as though ever contender added at least a bullpen piece there was one team the Houston Astros that didn’t seem to be interested in making any deals.
The Astros did make one trade as they acquired left handed pitcher Francisco Liriano from the Toronto Blue Jays for two outfielders; Norichika Aoki and Teoscar Hernandez. The Astros have said that they plan to use Liriano out of the bullpen. Dallas Keuchel use the word “disappointing” to describe the Astros lack of movement at the trade deadline. Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow went on to say the Astros “did the math” on bigger trades and apparently they didn’t like what it added up to. Now just this week the Astros have placed three pitchers on the disabled list as Lance McCullers Jr. Tony Sipp and Michael Feliz all where placed on the 10-day disabled list.
With the lack of movement by the Astros you have to ask yourself if they’re too attached to their top prospects. Now I seriously doubt that the Texas Rangers would’ve ever given any thought at all of trading Darvish to the Astros. The Rangers have expressed interest in bringing Darvish back in the off season as a free agent. Imagine if he went on to help the Astros win a World Series and then decided he liked playing there and signed with them long term. Now the Oakland A’s had said they where looking for a young outfielder preferably a centerfielder in any deal involving Gray. Now that would’ve meant the Astros would’ve had to part with top prospect Kyle Tucker or the recently called up Derek Fischer in a deal for Gray. Now I understand that you draft these guys you develop these guys and you can get attached to them, but did the Astros just cost themselves a World Series by being to attached to their prospects?
Now last season the two teams that met in the World Series made significant additions to their bullpen at the trade deadline and they had to give up top prospects to do it. The Cleveland Indians sent four prospects Clint Frazier, Ben Heller, Justus Sheffield and J.P. Feyereisen to the New York Yankees for Andrew Miler. Miller was the best pitcher in the playoffs last season and the Indians don’t get to the World series without him. Now the Chicago Cubs also made a deal with the Yankees as they picked up Aroldis Chapman for Adam Warren and three minor league prospects Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford. Chapman solidified the back end of the Cubs bullpen and was used so much in the post season by Cubs manager Joe Maddon that it may be effecting him this season. It’s another case here that the Cubs probably don’t win the World Series without Chapman. I don’t think the pick up of Liriano by the Astros is on par with the moves the Indians and Cubs made?
Should the Astros have looked for a starting pitcher at the trade deadline? They have Keauchel; who is a true #1 starter and can match up with any pitcher, but who’s after him. McCullers is hurt quite a bit and is out right now with a back injury and there’s no timetable for his return. Are Mike Fiers, Charlie Morton or Joe Musgrove enough to get the Astros through the post season. Fiers and Morton have been solid with E.R.A.’s under 4.00, but how will they hold up under playoff conditions. Brad Peacock may be the second best starter the Astros have, but they seem to like him coming out of the bullpen and with all the injuries they’ve had there it may be where he’s needed the most. Now the Astros should cruise into the playoffs and end up with the best record in the American League which means they’ll meet the wild card winner in the ALDS.
You have to wonder if we’re going to be looking back at this season and asking if the Astros would’ve picked up just one more starting pitcher if their season would’ve ended differently. The Astros have been the best team in the American League for pretty much the entire season and you’d have to think that they’d be disappointed if they didn’t get into the World Series. Of course at this point you have to wonder if they’ll be able to get through the first round of the playoffs.
As you may or may not know I’m an avid FanDuel player. I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than $1 or $2 on a game, but I enjoy playing. Last night I decided to pay for the most expensive pitcher for the night Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals. It all started out well for me as Scherzer worked a 1,2,3 1st inning. In the 2nd inning the Nationals put up 6 runs and part of that scoring was a 3-run home run by Scherzer. Now I don’t get fantasy points for Scherzer’s hitting stats, but a 6-run lead should’ve led to a win and another big fantasy point outing from Scherzer. Oddly as the Nationals came out for the bottom of the 2nd inning Scherzer threw one warm up pitch and took himself out of the game. As it turned out Scherzer has had a crick in his neck for a couple of days and while it didn’t affect his swing it took him off of the mound. I just had to laugh at myself as I normally don’t pay for the top pitcher on FanDuel, but I did last night. In the end I only lost $1, but like everyone else I prefer to win. I guess will see how my luck goes tonight.
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