The Astros are known to be looking for a front-end arm to add to their rotation, but they’re also “dangling” right-handers Collin McHugh and Mike Fiers in an effort to create flexibility on their roster and in the payroll, reports ESPN’s Jayson Stark.
McHugh, 29, has been one of the Astros’ best finds since Jeff Luhnow took over as the team’s general manager. Plucked off waivers from the Rockies three years ago, McHugh has given the ‘Stros 543 innings of 3.71 ERA ball over the past three seasons, but his ERA has trended in the wrong direction in each of the past two seasons. The 2016 campaign saw McHugh log a respectable 4.34 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 41.3 percent ground-ball rate in 184 2/3 innings. Those are still solid secondary stats, though, and metrics like FIP, xFIP and SIERA all suggest that he pitched better than his ERA indicates, pegging him in the upper-3.00s and low 4.00s. He’s controllable through the 2019 season and is projected to earn $4.6MM next year by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
Fiers, too, is controllable through the 2019 season, though he’s a bit older. The 31-year-old posted a 4.48 ERA with 7.2 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 42.2 percent ground-ball rate in 168 2/3 innings out of the Houston rotation last year. Fiers has seen his strikeout rate trend down in recent years, but his ground-ball rate has increased in its place. He’s also been rather consistent in terms of showing solid control throughout his big league career. Fiers is projected to earn $4.3MM in arbitration, so like McHugh, he’d be affordable for any team from a financial standpoint.
Division rival Mariners could make a move for Fiers. K/BB makes Dipoto wet.
Mchough and Gattis for sims Herbert and mallex braves should make a move
This move doesn’t make sense for the braves. Gattis was traded by the braves bc there was nowhere for him to play. This is still the case. Mchough is not the kind of pitcher the braves are trading young players/prospects for
Both are no more than a 4th starter on most teams. Looks more like the Astros are cutting cost and would trade them for a low level prospect.
Kind of insulting to Fiers who has had long stretches of being very good near elite something changed in him after he hit Stanton in the face though if he can ever regain what ever it is he lost he could be very good again.
Fiers and elite should not be in the same sentence unless you’re saying “Fiers is NOT elite”
You are clueless Fiers has had several months where he was Chris Sale as far as missing bats. His problem is consistency.
Lack of consistency = not elite
Anyone can be good for a stretch. But if you can consistently do it you aren’t elite
Inconsistent = 4th starter. He does show flashes of great stuff but other times he is barely average. Astros might be just dumping money to sign another needed part.
He was a great pitcher his 1st year with Milwaukee
The Astros didn’t give Morton $7 million a year to dump the better McHugh over $4.5 million. they are probably trying to take advantage of the weak pitching market.
Astros aren’t going to trade 2 innings eaters, which they need, for a low level prospect.
I feel like McHugh will be part of a Sale trade. Controllable for 3 more seasons with some very solid numbers. He’s no ace by any means, but he is a good #3 arm or a really good #4.
I just keep feeling like a Sale trade is gonna get crafted around McHugh, Tucker, Reed, Paulino, Whitley, and Fisher or Cameron.
CWS get back up to 4 top 100 prospects, plus AJ Reed who should have as much value as a top 20 prospect. Tucker falls in line around #30 prospect overall, I think.
McHugh gives them a controllable starter they can move for some more pieces. I think the key for CWS is getting back as much depth as possible, not putting all their eggs in 1 or 2 high end prospects baskets.
This would allow them to bundle McHugh and Eaton or Abreu to a team looking for pitching and offensive help. I could see them turning to Boston or NYY, offering up Abreu (in lieu of Boston signing Edwin) and sending McHugh as well. Could see Boston sending back a talent including two of Devers, Kopech, and Groome.
They would have essentially turned Abreu/Eaton and Sale into AJ Reed, 6 additional top 100 prospects, and some other crapshoot minor leaguers. They have long term prospects at 3B, OF, 1B, SS, and a handful of nice pitching prospects.
Just my thoughts, but I don’t know much about all this.
Switch one of Whitley or Paulino with Martes, and you might peak their interest, assuming they’re willing to take a package without someone like Bregman. I wouldn’t be too sure about that though. They’re more interested in top end quality than quantity.
Also, what has Reed done to make himself as valuable as a top 20 prospect? He was abysmal in his 40+ games in the MLB last year. I’d still happily take him as a lesser piece in a deal, but his value definitely went down after last year, not up.
Reed has shown much potential in minor league ball. He’s very young and has had less than 150 major league at bats. While I agree his stock hasn’t risen it hasn’t deflated either. No one in their right mind can go off part time work of a rookie in the majors with less than 150 at bats. He’s ranked 5th in deep astros farm system for a reason. Bregman struggled too but the Astros stuck with him. Reed struggled they flip flopped to White and Gattis. Still alot of opportunity for Reed if given a chance. He’s only 23!
I’m not arguing with you guys that he has potential to become a really good hitter, and I’m not writing him off by any means. Like I said, I’d happily take him in hopes that he bounces back. That being said, his value is not what it would’ve been had he spent all year in the minors and absolutely mashed or looked at least serviceable in his big league at bats. He does not have the value of a top 20 prospect at this point. If you want to argue that most prospects are overvalued, that’s a whole different argument, and I’d tend to agree. That’s just how it is though.
He wouldn’t need to really bounce back, he was excellent once again in the minors, so it’s not like he failed to show something he had before. I agree he has lost value, simply because going into last year a potential plausible yet unlikely outcome was that he would be a transcendent talent that came out of the gates and dominate, ala Bryant. That no longer seems to be the case, though he still holds a lot of potential, and it’s doubtful that the Astros will deal him if the other team views him as a lesser or throw-in piece. FWIW, i don’t see the Astros dealing for Sale.
^What he said (about lack of MLB at bats).
You can’t write off a guy with so little MLB experience. I would have loved for him to have no learning curve, but its’ simply not realistic.
For example : Trea turner got the call in 2015 @ age 22. He hit .225 with 1 hr and 2 stolen bases in 40 at bats. A lot smaller sample, sure, but guys don’t just come up and have instant success a lot of times.
I figure Reed has top 20 prospect appeal because guys like Josh Bell, Rafael Devers are in the MLB top 20. Josh Bell is older than Reed, with a great deal less of minor league success (batted .303 in his MiLB career in 487 games, hit 44 HR, 111 doubles, 305K : 209 BB). Reed has batted .316 in 273 games, hit 61 HR, 72 doubles, and has 243 K : 148 BB.
200 fewer games, 17 more home runs, 40 fewer doubles, 60 fewer K, 60 fewer walks.
Bell has a triple slash of .303/.373/.454 which is good for a .827 OPS.
Reed has a triple slash of .316/.403/.576 which is good for a .979 OPS
Yes, I think it’s more than fair to say Reed has the appeal of a top 20 prospect.
I agree, adding Martes really peaks the interest of CWS, but I do not think it’s conceivable that Houston moves what are essentially their top 4 prospects, plus McHugh, for Sale.
If McHugh isn’t in the deal, I can see including Martes. I don’t see them parting with McHugh and Martes, and in addition moving Reed, Tucker, and another prospect or two.
It doesn’t benefit the CWS to keep holding Sale (by that I mean into 2017). There’s a reason why they haven’t made a deal yet, and teams are dropping out of the running : Hahn is asking far too much.
For Sale to get the return Hahn is dreaming of, Archer needs to get traded. Whoever misses out on that is gonna really start opening their wallets for Sale, as it means another contender just picked up Archer, so anyone looking for pitching will need it that much more.
That said, I can see McHugh and Martes moving if Reed and Tucker aren’t both also in the deal.
I don’t see McHugh, Martes, Reed, Tucker all leaving in a Sale deal. I see 3 of them going, with some lower tiered prospects. This is if Houston even gets him. Just my guess. Getting McHugh gives the White Sox another very movable piece.
That’s a stiff trade package. Given the market, I don’t think it’s unrealistic.
Personally, I’d rather have the prospects.
That’s a huge mistake IMO. If they don’t have to give up someone like Bregman, they should jump all over it. With that lineup and a winnable division, Chris Sale puts you at the top of the contender list in the AL. Otherwise, that rotation will hold them back I believe.
This isn’t the first place I’ve heard a package like this floated, though it previously included a name like Bregman or Springer. As an Astros fan, I’m not crazy about those packages. Maybe McHugh, two top prospects (one close to the majors, one a couple years away), and a lower-level prospect.
Asking price isn’t out of line with what we’ve heard, just seems like the market for SP is incredibly steep this offseason. I’d almost rather be a seller in this market.
Fiers won’t be missed. He has his moments but I think he is more a bullpen guy at this point of his career. McHugh is a solid bottom rotation pitcher. Good ground ball pitcher.
Fiers ERA was lower than Keuchel’s last year. Not saying that I wouldn’t rather have Dallas, but Fiers gets a lot more hate than necessary. I think it’s bc he was in the Carlos Gomez deal.
It doesn’t make any since to use either in a trade. Unless it’s a trade for a #1 then they should hold off.
A possible 3 way deal….. or Whatever they get back could be packaged in a larger deal for Sale.
I wish we could add Fiers in a package for Sale!
I will thank him for me being at a game where he through that no hitter last year!!
I just think fiers, & hinch don’t get along.
So i do think shipping him off would be best for him, and the stros!
I wish I knew more about this mortonson cat that we just gave a $14M,2 year deal to!!
Like if healthy is he any better then Fiers?
McCugh, you know what, & where he’ll succeed in the rotation, plus he’s one the very few veterans we have on our rotation!!
Case in point you trade McCugh, and a gang of our top prospects to chisox, they will not realize what a competitor, and a pros pro McCugh is, but anyways!
You’ll have
1. Sale
2. Kuechel
3. McCullers
4. Musgrove
5. Mortonson
Which sounds ok with this smash style offense we will have, but who’s going to be our 2-3 extra #5’s to keep innings off McCullers, and others?
I’m sure McCullers will be on another inning limit this year! Plus can he finally stay healthy, and keep off the DL
Then Kuechel, there were times he looked like he didn’t know what he was doing!!
So being set down to the #2 starter, will that he’ll make him look like the pitcher from 2015?
Then Musgrove, are stros fans confident enough for him to be the #4 starter?
then like I said at the top, who the heck is this mortonson dude?
Never heard of him till we signed him!! SMH
WE ALREADY HAVE WAY TO MANY #4-5’s!!
We need 1’s & 2’s, or a really solid #3!!
What about bringing Tyson Ross back home on a contract kinda like Doug Fister? He’d have way more upside then the aging Fister, and I think being 29, he’d be pitching from his home state, and if healthy would be pitching with a chip on his shoulder, to get that last big money contract!!
Wow just got a alert saying blue Jays are out of the running of Edwin Encarnacion!!!
Could the stros really let them acorns drag the ground, and sign him too?
Then we would have the baddest lineups in the American League!!
I like the Ross idea. Sign him and sit him. Ross and McCullers will both be two years removed from surgery in 2018. If both get all their mojo back, would form a heck of a rotation.
McHugh’s curve is lethal. He can get the ball on the ground. He’s not a front line guy, but put him in front of a solid infield and he’ll give you a shot to win every time he takes the hill.
Hate to lose him, but it’s true we need a stopper.
What do you guys want for McHugh from the Cubs?
No to Eloy/Happ/Clifton/Cease, though.
I’m just reading between the lines, but it seems like Lunhow’s trying to package McHugh in a deal for an ace. I can’t see the Cubs letting go of Arrieta.
For my money, I would think Sonny Gray makes the most sense just because of the history between the GM’s. Beane and Lunhow have similar approaches, have come together for trades in the past, and seem to have a good working relationship.
Fiers would be a good veteran innings eater for the Phillies, Rangers, or Pirates, and McHugh would be the kind of pitcher that you should look at for a young potential number 1 or 2 without a desperate need to compete, so Phillies, Brewers, maybe D-backs, maybe White Sox.
I’d love either for the Cubs. Absolutely love. 2020 free agents.
Sure beats sending Happ to TB or Oakland for Archer or Gray.
I’m obviously not doing the negotiating, but Soler and Candelario are available.
This is great.
If I was Hinch, I’d play Beltran in the outfield for away games, and I’d bat him lead off or 2nd. Then Hinch can pinch run for him early and often.
I’m confused on what the astros would need in return for him? They look stacked. I would love him in SD