Here’s the latest from Minute Maid Park…
- Three different executives tell Peter Gammons (Twitter link) that the Astros are a team to watch on Yoenis Cespedes. It seems as if Cespedes’ market is picking up a lot of steam, though there’s still little in the way of solid information about which teams are most ardently pursuing the free agent outfielder. At first glance, Houston doesn’t seem to have a spot for Cespedes with Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez in left and center, plus George Springer in right field and Evan Gattis at DH. Then again, the Astros were also recently connected to Ender Inciarte in trade talks with the Braves, indicating that they might not be entirely satisfied with their current outfield mix. Signing Cespedes would either shift Rasmus to a DH time-share with Gattis, or perhaps one of Houston’s current outfielders would be traded. Of the trio, Rasmus can’t be dealt without his permission until June 15 since he accepted the Astros’ one-year qualifying offer.
- After avoiding arbitration with Dallas Keuchel on his 2016 contract, GM Jeff Luhnow told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that he still hopes to lock Keuchel up on a multi-year deal. “If we can get additional control beyond [2018,] we’re certainly going to attempt to do that,” Luhnow said. “The allure of free agency as players get closer gets more and more attractive. It gets more difficult the more success a player has and the closer he gets to free agency [to sign him]. We’re going to keep trying.” Keuchel’s agent, Darek Braunecker, said in early January that the two sides hadn’t yet had any extension talks this winter.
- The Astros don’t adhere to a strict “file-and-go” strategy with players who don’t come to an agreement before the arbitration filing deadline, though the club plans to indeed go to a hearing with catcher Jason Castro, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. “It’s perfectly clear that Jason’s arbitration case is 100 percent file and go,” a source familiar with the negotiations told Drellich. “Given that fact, I see no way this case could settle at this point.” The Astros offered Castro a $5MM salary for 2016 while Castro filed for $5.25MM. (MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projected Castro for a $4.6MM salary.) It isn’t yet clear if Houston is also intent on going to a hearing with Evan Gattis, the team’s only other arb-eligible player who is still without an agreement.
- In another piece from Drellich, he looks at what could be next for the Astros and Cardinals in the data breach scandal involving the two clubs once former Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa is sentenced in April. (For a refresher on this unusual situation, click here and here.) More information about what was accessed from the Astros’ proprietary data network could come to light at Correa’s sentencing hearing, and Drellich speaks to several attorneys and security sources about what the next steps could be for both teams, Correa and Major League Baseball. While the league could punish the Cards with a fine or taking away draft picks, it may be harder for the Astros to claim they should be compensated themselves.
Seems like such a minimal difference on Castro’s arb figure but the fact that Houston filed for more than the projected amount indicates they shouldn’t be the ones to close the gap. I think they win at a hearing since they filed such a fair number.
I don’t see the fit for Cespedes with Houston. IMO Chris Davis would have been the player to put them over the top.
Can you imagine Cespedes in that park though? The short porch in left! It would be really fun to watch him hit there and I could see him breaking his bat and still hitting homeruns in that park. He could probably hit one over Tal’s hill too with his strength. I’m not saying it will happen, and I don’t think it will, but it would certainly be really fun to watch.
The Astros are finally getting rid of that ridiculous hill.
“were” getting rid of talk hill, those plans got changed before the season even ended.
tal’s hill*
Davis’ contract is something the Astro’s front office would never do. Especially with their glut at 1b.
If they do sign Cespedes, I dont think Carlos Gomez is long for Houston. Or maybe we see George Springer goto the Indians in a deal for Danny Salazarr. Maybe its also possible Gomez and a piece like Bregman goto the Indians for Salazarr.
Maybe move Rasmus to first base….
If they were to make a big splash, Chris Davis seemed to make the most sense. They could then deal Singleton and some others for starting pitching or bullpen depth
i think the aj reed factor had them not go all in on Davis. the astros have missed out on some big names in the past…not for money issues. i would love to see Cespedes in H-Town
Singleton has no value to negative value. They have would get more in any deal by including the “others” but omitting his name from the deal.
Singleton played 2014 at 22 years old and still posted an elite walk rate. To say he has no value is sad. Singleton has out hit most players older than him at every minor league level. He also out hit AJ Reed at a younger age at every level of the minors. The Astros kept him in the minors last season because they felt they rushed him, the year prior. People seem to think he is like 26 years old. He will play this season at the same age as Kris Bryant.
$250K apart and there is no way they come to an agreement? WTH? That may be the single dumbest thing I have read today.
its Jason Castro. save the 250k
250 K is enough to add a couple of give away days to the schedule. Talk to him. He accepts the lower amount in exchange for a Castro bobblehead day.
Rasmus would move to DH. Carlos Gomez could be dealt for Prospects or kept …the Astros have money to spend. Singleton is just holding 1b till Aj Reed is ready.
How about….
A Freeman+Inciarte blockbuster to the Astros :)? They WERE interested in both players during the winter. Things could get heated if that happened..
Have thought the same, but from Braves perspective hard not to take trade without Springer and more. Giving up two major leaguers for a whole prospect swap is rough. I know Freeman is the “Face” but with his backloaded contract I could see him for prospects. Suffer through a year with Swish at first.
Braves aren’t going to trade Freeman for just prospects. They would have to get a haul and a half for him. He’s the one guy that they aren’t going to just trade for prospects or for the sake of continuing their rebuild. I’m not sure the Astros would be willing to give up what they would have to give up.
we wouldent give up springer for inciarte. springer is WAY better, don’t know how many times I have to explain this..
Total fabrication on the Cespedes front. It’s a slow day of baseball reporting, especially with the Astros being quiet. It makes absolutely no sense. Unless they are trying to trade MLB players for a pitcher.
It makes sense only if the Astros trade Gomez. Rasmus cannot be traded and springer will not be moved. Trading Gomez and then signing cespedes would not be a bad idea. Gomez is a FA at the end of the year so trading him for prospects and replacing him with cespedes could be beneficial to the club, depending on who they got in return for the trade.
Can you imagine Cespedes in that park though? The short porch in left! It would be really fun to watch him hit there and I could see him breaking his bat and still hitting homeruns in that park. He could probably hit one over Tal’s hill too with his strength. I’m not saying it will happen, and I don’t think it will, but it would certainly be really fun to watch. —
Soo are the Cardinals gonna be punished or not? Some reports tell me yes, others say no
They should be. Even if no one else in the organization knew anything about what was going on (which seems completely incredible), the league has to show other would-be offenders that this type of action will not be tolerated. Correa accessed the database on draft day and on the trade deadline. That means that the Cardinals benefitted whether they knew or not. That must be punished.
Spot on.
If I ended up with a stolen fifty, I’m out fifty bucks if I’m caught spending it.
Cespedes is a perfect fit for the White Sox. Why? He is a exciting player. Unfortunately, the team has taken the low key personality of their lackluster manager. As a result, they need some colorful players. They can’t win with the current configuration. One big bat and a 5th starter and they can contend!
Take the Cardinals top draft pick this year and give it to the Astros. That would be fair and send a message.
Way to circumvent that is the cards go sign a Qo player.
Or the Cardinals can send them 20 million dollars, that will cover a season of Cespedes. Something has to happen here to make that situation fair.
Ha- send them 20 million dollars?! Are you out of your mind? This guy acted independently and Cards acted swiftly when they found out about it. Upper management had no idea or control of it. Doubt anything will happen.
He was an employee of a billion dollar company. 20 million is perfectly fair.
Will never ever happen