The Orioles have claimed outfielder Pedro León off waivers from the Astros, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. It was reported earlier this week that Houston had put several players on waivers, including León, as they looked to clear out some roster space. The O’s will need to make space on their 40-man roster to make the move official.
Baltimore is taking a flier on a post-hype prospect. León was a high-profile signing out of Cuba several years ago. In January of 2021, the Astros gave him a $4MM signing bonus. He was ranked as one of the top prospects in the system for the next few years. He’s now 27 years old, turning 28 in May, but hasn’t yet delivered on that hype. He has only appeared in seven big league games thus far. He struck out in 10 of his 21 plate appearances as he has produced a .100/.143/.100 line.
That’s obviously a tiny sample of work but his minor league track record also isn’t great. From 2021 to 2023, he hit .233/.350/.419 on the farm. That offense translates to a 104 wRC+, indicating he was above average but barely. He struck out in 29% of his plate appearances in that time.
In 2024, he had a monster .299/.372/.514 showing in Triple-A. He still struck out at a fairly high 27% clip but that offense was good enough for a 130 wRC+, even in the hitter-friendly context of the Pacific Coast League. Here in 2025, a sprained MCL in his left knee limited him to just 22 Triple-A contests. He hit .241/.312/.422 for a wRC+ of 89 in those.
Obviously, the Astros were hoping for more when they signed him. The Orioles are hoping that a late-bloomer breakout can come in their organization. León is still optionable, so they could keep him in the minors. He showed big potential in 2024 before the injury-marred 2025. Ideally, the O’s will get a healthy and productive season from León in 2026. If that comes to pass, he could push his way into their outfield mix as the season goes along. Currently, that group includes Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers, Jeremiah Jackson, Leody Taveras and others.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images
Leon is probably the ultimate all-tools-no-skills prospect I’ve ever seen. He’s basically Jose Siri without Siri’s best trait, his ball tracking talent in the field.
Best way to describe him. Hes a AAAAA guy
No doubt he’ll be DFA’d again soon. Building up Norfolk with different outfielders than Haskin and Fabian after pulling Beavers and Jackson up.
0 tools
Pretty surprising to me that Houston chose to DFA Pedro Leon over Taylor Trammell. Leon still has 2 option years & could be a Speed/Power option off the bench. Yes Trammell is left handed & way more selective at the plate…but offers way less roster versatility & upside. I still think Trammell likely gets DFA’d with Zach Cole, Jacob Melton, Dezenzo, & others currently still in the fold, etc.
Trammell could still be non-tendered. He’s also a lot more viable as a 4th OF option in 2026.
Definitely could still be non-tendered or DFA’d….would actually be shocked if he isn’t. Jacob Melton & Zach Cole BOTH are more viable 4th OF options than Trammell.
They wouldn’t keep either of those guys on the bench though. They should be getting regular ABs whether it’s in the majors or AAA.
Maybe or maybe not….they’re both getting older. It’s debatable on the path to take with them if that were the case, but I generally agree with you. Melton has higher potential than Cole IMO, but Cole did show really well in limited time.
Greg Jones Jr could play the 4th OF role/speed demon off the bench. Most Astros fans don’t know about him…he’s like a Chandler Simpson “lite”. Another former 1st round pick, a Dana Brown special.
I think Cole has more potential. They both have equally top flight athletic tools. The only question on Cole was if he’d cut down the swing and miss enough to be viable against major league pitching. He made a big adjustment and tore through the minors late last season and did a lot more with his major league opportunity than Melton did.
Melton has a higher ceiling than Cole, but Cole has a way higher floor. Melton has an extremely volatile profile…he could literally either amount to absolutely nothing & not hit enough or be a perennial all star. With Cole, there’s not as much variance…but ones things for certain, when he swings…he’s not going to get cheated. All or nothing & when he makes contact, there’s extremely loud impact. He just has to make enough contact. Both are plus athletes, runners, & defenders.
Was hoping to get some shine for that Greg Jones Jr call though lol, you heard it here first! Could definitely see him making an impact.
Since, you’re a pretty adamant Astros fan…let’s have some legit discussion. What do you hope the Astros do this offseason? What would be your priorities?
I kinda see it the other way around. I think Cole’s ceiling is multi-time All Star. His floor is AAAA player. I think Melton’s floor is decent 4th OF, but his ceiling is only a platoon starter who’s slightly above average offensively but excellent defensively.
Top priority is definitely finding a new #2 starter. First choice of course would be Dylan Cease and I don’t think it’s all that unlikely. The Astros have coveted him for years and we’ve seen that when Crane really wants someone, he’ll make it happen. If not him, my second choice would be a trade for Sandy Alcantara. His stuff is still nasty AF and he had a strong finish to the season. And if he’s 100% healthy he can fill as many innings as Framber did. Definitely the kind of guy that the Astros pitching brain trust can get the most out of. The Astros don’t have a lot to trade but I’d consider offering Yainer Diaz if they re-sign Caratini.
Second priority is trading Christian Walker. I’m not one of the reactionaries who wants to run him out of town, I just don’t think Isaac Paredes will be a viable defender at 2B, especially since it means moving Altuve to LF permanently. I can live with Altuve’s defense at either position if they have a plus defender at the other spot, but I can’t abide two problematic defenders. And Paredes is WAY too important to the Astros’ success in 2026 to consider trading, And if they even move half of Walker’s salary it’s money better spent elsewhere. The market for Walker won’t be great but he’s far from untradeable. I think a bad contract swap for another change of scenery candidate is very realistic.
Which brings me to priority 3 – another starting pitcher. Which could very well come from a Walker swap. One possible match in a Walker trade is Sean Manaea. The Mets need both a 1B and DH, and Manaea is coming off a lost season and has a very similar contract. If a free agent is the move, which unloading Walker would help with, I’d really love to see Justin Verlander come back for one last ride. He still has something in the tank and they could really use his veteran leadership. Chris Bassitt would be another nice option.
Priority 4 to me is to extend Isaac Paredes. He’s such a perfect fit for this team and he’s not gonna be a top of the class free agent so he’s the kind of guy they can afford to keep. I’d go as far as 8 years for him because I think his game is going to age really well.
Priority 5 is a new backup catcher. I’d really love to bring Caratini back but he’s good enough to start on a lot of teams so I don’t see him taking another backup role. Though as I mentioned earlier, I’m not opposed to dealing Diaz for the right starting pitcher. I think a strong defensive veteran type would be the way to go. Maybe our old friend Christian Vazquez.
Last priority would be adding some late inning relief depth. One interesting name I saw as a possible target for a Walker swap was Jordan Hicks. He’s coming off a really ugly year but he still throws gas and he has late inning experience. And we personally saw him throw the game of his life back in April. He’s got “we can fix him” written all over him, And if it’s a straight swap it would clear just under half of Walker’s remaining contract.
Finally I would keep all 3 of Jesus Sanchez, Ramon Urias and Mauricio Dubon unless including one of them helps facilitate the Walker trade. It’s a pricey bench but none of them are exorbitant and all are valuable enough to trade. Sanchez is a wildcard but he definitely has the talent to play his way into the lineup. But we also aren’t invested in his future so there’s nothing lost by stashing him on the bench.
Noquarter89, INCREDIBLE well-thought out response. I really appreciate the amount of thought that you put into it, and I think you made some absolute spot-on spectacular points! I apologize for the delay in my own response! I had to spend some time thinking about how I’d follow up with you lol…
Cole & Melton both have high upside, but both also hold the risk of being only a 4th OF type/AAAA player if they can’t hit enough. Of course, they could always carve out a speed/defense role off the bench. However, with the recent rumors of profound interest in teams wanting to acquire Jake Meyers…it makes these two EXTREMELY more interesting. If you sell high on Jake, and get some good prospect capital back that you really like…it can make sense. Unfortunately, now there’s no natural platoon though with Cole & Melton if you deal Meyers. You’d have to play Dubon more in CF if neither Cole or Melton is playable against LHP. Though unproven & not as good of a defender, you did have a lefty masher in Pedro Leon who you could’ve kept as a platoon option, I would’ve kept him over Taylor Trammell personally. Could maybe Yordan’s Cuban buddy Luis Robert be a potential trade option to play CF in a potential platoon as a buy low option in his last year on his contract? His value is as low as ever & CHW will try to trade him. Robert rakes in Houston for whatever reason. The CF situation will certainly be interesting to follow. Melton & Cole are plus defenders, but it’s tough to match the range of Jake Meyers. Melton is more similar to Meyers in terms of range, but Cole has the best arm of the three by a wide margin. No doubt though that Meyers could fetch you something solid in return, and it’d be another way to get another left handed bat into the lineup regularly if he’s dealt.
***NOW, I’ll preface this…these are the two BIGGEST QUESTIONS present in Houston for this offseason before we actually start to talk names of any particular players/personnel.
1. Did Houston go over the CBT in 2025 or not?
I don’t know for sure one way or the other…but contrary to popular opinion, there’s a good chance they did NOT. Urias’ & Sanchez’s contracts would not have put them over…it only would’ve been Correa. With the amount of money MN was covering and sending over…Houston could’ve allocated most of that to 2025, so they wouldn’t go over the CBT! If they did not go over the CBT, that changes things drastically. For Framber’s Qualifying Offer, Houston would gain a 2nd round pick & NOT a 4th round pick if they didn’t go over the CBT. Plus, Houston would only have to give up ONE draft pick as opposed to TWO draft picks to sign any free agent with a QO attached, most notably Dylan Cease. The draft picks make a massive difference in a year when you’re going to gain an extra 1st round pick for Hunter Brown’s top 3 Cy Young finish & a potential 2nd rd OR 4th rd pick for Framber’s expected exit.
2. *IF* Houston did not go over the CBT & with the tax bracket potentially resetting for Houston, will Jim Crane finally stick his chest out & say screw it? Pulling out the checkbook after missing the playoffs for the first time in NINE years. Plus, you have Lance McCullers’ contract coming off the books after next year which will be a big salary relief…not to mention a potential work stoppage in 2026 with a new CBA looming. Additionally, a barren farm with not many reinforcements on the way, etc. Considering all these factors to weigh, I think it’s possible Crane could spend big this offseason for once.
You mentioned it NoQuarter, pitching is the key…and Dylan Cease IS the guy. However, there are many factors at hand. The main thing is the draft picks. In a year where Houston gains an extra 1st round pick for Hunter Brown, and an extra for Framber…they are extremely hesitant to sign free agents with a qualifying offer attached. I can say this to you as a fact. Houston could potentially have 4 picks in the first 2 rounds of the draft, which would be monumental for a depraved farm system. So, whether they crossed the CBT in 2025 or not is crucial. Because giving up one pick for Cease is not ideal, but two would be excruciating. Cease WOULD be the guy they would potentially give up draft capital for because they think he could be an absolute difference maker in Houston with some tweaks. IMO, he’s likely the only guy that Houston would give up draft capital for on the open market. It just sucks because you’d have to piss away Hunter Brown’s pick that you just netted if you signed Cease. That’s one of the MAIN reasons Houston tried to trade for him at the trade deadline because when you get traded midyear, you do not qualify for a QO & don’t cost draft capital in free agency. Houston thought they could acquire him….make him comfortable, and then ultimately sign him long term. The Cease trade was at the one yard line….but SD ultimately asked for too much. However ,if Jake Meyers is traded & brings back decent prospect capital, that could makeup for the draft capital that is lost in signing Dylan Cease. In regards to Cease & the top tier pitching market, Dana Brown did just say last week in Vegas at the GM meetings in an article posted by Matt Kawahara that Houston “will play at the top of the pitching market, but it doesn’t always work out” . Tatsuya Imai would be the other guy to watch at the top of the pitching market. Particularly because there’s no QO attached, and Houston has been trying to dip into the NPB market with the recent “Daikin” naming rights partnership. They’re trying to capitalize on that massive market of fans in Japan & being the only MLB team with a Japanese company named stadium. They’ve been scouting Japan & the NPB hard…and they even just signed RHP Peter Lambert to an MILB deal from there.
On the SP Free Agent market, beneath the top tier of arms, there are a number of guys who make sense. IMO Zach Eflin screams Astros to me. There’s no QO attached, and he’s a bounce back candidate coming off an injury. He’s always posted innings…and has the type of arsenal that Houston covets and can tinker with. Also a groundball pitcher like Framber was ,etc. Houston born Merrill Kelly is another one to watch, consistent performer…and of course a Justin Verlander reunion as you mentioned…very well could happen & make sense. Dustin May is a Texas native, who’s an interesting reclamation project with an intriguing arsenal…somewhat similarly to Nate Pearson. May was poor for BOS when they traded for him, but he shoved in HOU against the Astros in an August start. Another name I really like is also from the NPB, Kona Takahashi. He’s an under the radar name who’s probably a back-end starter, but he can pitch & wouldn’t cost a lot. He’s a guy who I think could use a few tweaks, but flourish. Similarly to Shota Imanaga…where there wasn’t a ton of expectations for him coming from Japan, but he exceeded all of them.
On the trade front with pitching, I love your idea of a Christian Walker for Sean Manaea swap. That makes a ton of sense, and Manaea is the kind of guy the Astros typically covet. Big extension off the mound & strikeout stuff. Of course, this only works if the Mets lose Alonso to free agency. President of Baseball Ops, David Stearns has said that the NYM are going to prioritize defense more & Walker is a clear upgrade over Alonso defensively at 1B. Manaea & Walker also have similar contracts, so it’d be a fairly seamless swap. I’m not in the “cast Walker into the sun” camp either, but I’d certainly entertain a trade if the right move presents itself. I also wouldn’t be shocked at all if Walker’s oblique issue lingered during the season and affected him some. I actually tend to think that’s what probably happened..
I too am in favor of trading Yanier for a top flight arm, but only if it makes sense & upgrades the team…of course this also hinges on bringing back Caratini as the starter. Yanier is incredibly talented, but his free swinging charade just doesn’t fit the identity that this team is looking for. Plus, he just doesn’t bring much at all defensively…he has a plus arm, but that’s it. Everything else is poor. I like trying to move him now if he can net a #2 type starter or potentially #3. Pablo Lopez is one, and Joe Musgrove could be another. However, I’m not sure how motivated SD would be to move Musgrove considering they’ll likely be losing Cease and King in free agency. Sandy Alcantara, Kodai Senga, and Mitch Keller could be a few more. Luis Severino is also extremely interesting to me, but I doubt the A’s would trade in the division. Keller may seem like the most likely because the Pirates need bats, but Keller is also probably the worst pitcher of this bunch. The Pirates would need to sweeten the pot and probably tack on prospect capital, etc. The other teams may not be as likely, as the Twins are in a near total rebuild, and would likely want prospect capital only. The Marlins could be interesting with Sandy, but I’m just not as sold on Sandy as you are, but if anybody can get him back to form it’d be Houston. Miami has a good young catcher in Agustin Ramirez, but Yanier could maybe also DH & play 1B for them? Jordan Hicks is also immensely interesting, that you mention. Could he be a Walker swap candidate, maybe? He may not be a SP, but he could be a bullpen piece or potentially “both” like Nate Pearson may be. I know for a fact Jordan grew up a huge Astros fan & would love to come here. You mentioned the great game he pitched in April against Houston. Would BOS just be potentially interested in simply shedding that salary? They need righthanded bats. We can give them Zach Dezenzo…plays LF,RF,1B,3B AND hit his first HR ever in Fenway. Speaking of pitching, Miguel Ullola needs to be on this team. He can be a bullpen weapon for you next year, and even if the long term goal is for him to start….Cristian Javier began in the bullpen. I expect Ullola to be added to the 40man roster today or tomorrow.
On the FA bat front, *IF* Walker is traded…keep an eye out for Kazuma Okamoto from the NPB. 1B, DH, and can play LF giving you added versatility. I’ll put it to you simply: he’s Japanese Isaac Paredes. Houston loves him. He pulls the ball in the air a ton as a right handed hitter, and is extremely patient at the plate. The type of hitter Houston seeks. All the talk around the MLB is Murakami from the NPB, but Okamoto is the real deal. Also, don’t look now but Jon Heyman has mentioned Houston in regards to Pete Alonso, This of course would mean Walker is traded. In 2025, in the rare instance Yordan DID play…I’m sure you noticed how much Yordan was pitched around. He has no real slug & protection behind him without Kyle Tucker. Enter Alonso. Will it happen? Who knows, but it does make sense. Of the two, I definitely think Okamoto is likelier & he’s cheaper…but Heyman doesn’t just pull things out of nowhere. Alonso also has NO QO offer attached which is VERY attractive.
And then 3 LHH OF options I really like: Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, and Mike Yastrzemski. All 3 of them take a lot of walks which is important, and what this team is striving for. Mullins would be a bounce back candidate with no QO offer attached, and be a short term offer. He plays plus defense & can play all 3 OF spots….also brings a SB threat. O’Hearn played his college ball at Sam Houston St & can play RF, LF, or 1B. Yaz is a corner guy, but is coming off a decent year, and again draws walks. Trent Grisham would be an extremely good option as a high BB & power guy, but he has a QO offer attached…so I don’t really see it because of that.
A couple of INF options: Willi Castro & Jorge Polanco, both switch hitters & not great defenders. Polanco almost came to HOU last year. There was an offer on the table, but SEA upped their offer & he returned there. I love Willi Castro, I think he’d be a great fit. Puerto Rican descent like Espada, Correa, Caratini, etc….and he can play EVERYWHERE. Also brings a speed factor to the team with SB capability. Both of these guys can play 2B, which is a bit of a question mark at the moment. Castro is more of a true UTIL guy, but he brings more at the plate than his defending skills…but does have a plus arm from the OF. In regards to 2B, I’m sure you saw Chandler Rome’s article on the interest in STL’s Brendan Donovan. He’d be great, but I’m just not sure HOU would want to give up what it’d take to get him. Also, in that article…there are quotes about Isaac Paredes’ ability to play 2B directly from Dana Brown. He “can” play there, but he’s preferred at 1B, DH, or maybe even 3B, says Dana. I’m a bit more optimistic on Isaac’s ability to play 2B than you are. People don’t realize that he actually came up as a SS, but he’s just put on some lbs since then. Played a ton of SS in the MILB, and has logged a lot of innings at 2B in the MLB mostly for the Rays, and a bit with the Tigers. His arm actually plays better at 2B than 3B! And his lateral movement is actually decent despite his size…my biggest concern would actually just be his sprint speed going after “tweener” popups, which isn’t as big of a deal. I think Isaac would definitely be better than Altuve at 2B defensively at this stage of their careers. Isaac is definitely the “1B of the future” though & NEEDS to be extended immediately! I completely agree with you there. He loves Houston & we love him here. Plus, he has way more value in HOU than anywhere else with the ballpark. Bryan Abreu should be an extension candidate as well, would love to see it. I’m not sure if he will though…he may see if he can be a closer somewhere else, but his girl is from this area if that’s worth anything. Pena & Hunter Brown are probably gonzo at this point when it comes to an extension, especially Brown. Pena, “maybe” if he takes a Javier type extension where we buyout his remaining Arb years & only tack on a couple years into his free agency. That’s the only way it’d work. Otherwise, Houston needs to prepare to draft his “replacement” in the upcoming draft at SS with these potential 4 picks in the 1st 2 rounds!
Finally, in regards to your Sanchez, Urias, and Dubon points…I love all of them. It’s just going to come down to roster construction, and if we’re willing to pay them what they’re projected in arbitration. Sanchez does have a lot of upside at the plate, but is a poor defender in the OF. Urias is a GREAT defender at 2B, but doesn’t offer the versatility that Dubon does. Unfortunately, the non-tender deadline is soon approaching…so decisions need to be made soon. I’d prefer Dubon to Urias obviously…but if Meyers IS traded than we would need a RHH CF option like Dubon, etc which would open up a 2B spot for Urias. There’s a ton of moving parts. Personally, I’d prefer to go sign Willi Castro, who can play everywhere for roughly the same price that Urias is going to cost. Yes, the defense is worse with Castro, but he’s a switch hitter, and gives you way more versatility, plus speed. I like Jesus Sanchez a lot and hope he stays, but I’d imagine Houston would rather have him at a way lower price. I just really don’t know at this point when it comes to those guys! Houston could theoretically extend Dubon too if they wanted because he’s in his last year. Maybe something like 3 years, 15 mil…I could see that. What I do know is that Cam Smith most certainly does not have a roster spot guaranteed! Chandler Rome & Kawahara have reported on that too with Dana Brown quotes….so that’ll play into the Sanchez decision. I’d personally love to bring Sanchez back & bring in EITHER Cedric Mullins OR Ryan O’Hearn on a short term deal. Make Cam Smith beat them out or send him to AAA. Cam has huge potential, but he needs to develop & perform in a full season! I know it was extremely tough since he basically came right out of college, etc. but that’s just what it takes. He has to adjust!
I also like your Christian Vazquez idea for what its worth. Familiar with the city, PR native, and would be cheap, etc.
A ton of moving parts & directions the Astros could go! I personally think this is their most important offseason that I can remember in some time.
I hope you enjoyed reading, NoQuarter89. I look forward to hearing back from you! Maybe the team could look something like this! (See Below)
Pena SS
Paredes 2B/1B/DH
Yordan LF/DH
Okamoto 1B/DH/LF OR Alonso
Correa 3B
Caratini C
Altuve DH/LF/2B
Mullins CF/RF
Cole RF/CF
Dubon UTIL (defense first), platoon with Cole/Mullins in CF
Sanchez OF
Castro UTIL (offense first), platoon with Cole/Mullins in RF
Salazar C OR Vazquez
SP Brown
SP Alcantara
SP Manaea
SP Javier
SP McCullers/Pearson/Arrighetti/*Verlander (*if signed), (Arrighetti still has 3 options to AAA)
Walker traded to Mets for Manaea. Yainer dealt in package for Alcantara, etc. Okamoto is big FA signing. Mullins & Willi Castro also brought in. I’d love to see Verlander brought back & you could deploy a 6 man rotation! Meyers moved for prospects & opens spot for Cole/Melton. Cam Smith begins year in AAA.
Let me know your thoughts. A lot of this would be a “dream type scenario” obviously, but it’s more than plausible.
Very detailed!
I don’t think the odds are great that Jake will replicate his offensive performance from this year so I’m definitely open to selling high on him, especially since I’m particularly bullish on Cole. The downside is that Cole or Melton would both need a short-side platoon partner, and Jake would still be the perfect fit for that if he does regress offensively. Dubon could suffice but I think they’d need a true 4th OF who bats right handed if that was the plan. I suppose they could try to bring Chas back for cheaper, but I think that horse has been beaten beyond death. If they don’t trade Jake, and also don’t keep Sanchez, I’m down to keep Trammell as the 4th OF until Cole or Melton forces their way into a starting role.
Good question about the CBT, I’ve heard conflicting reports. I think they will try to get below it but the factor will be Cease. He’s the guy Crane will definitely say “screw it” for if they can get him on a contract length that they’re comfortable with. Otherwise, I think they can make the moves they need and stay under if they trade Walker. I don’t think they’re -that- hung up on the draft picks though. Definitely won’t be a factor when it comes to Cease. I wish Brandon Woodruff didn’t have the QO cause he’s my next favorite choice. I think he’s still good enough to be worth it though. If not Cease or Woodruff, like I said Alcantara is my favorite. And his salary is very reasonable. Would probably take Yanier to make the deal happen though. I’m with you though, I’m not opposed to it if we bring back Caratini. I’m very disappointed in Yanier’s lack of improvement this year. But as for Miami, Agustin Ramirez is even worse defensively than Yanier, and they also have needs at 1B and DH so they would probably just alternate.
Would love one of the big Japanese pitchers. They should definitely be trying to break into that market. I’m growing increasingly confident that a JV reunion will happen, in addition to one of the previously mentioned #2 starters hopefully,
Okamoto sounds like a good fit offensively but I see no point in adding another 1B/LF/DH type if we move Walker. If it weren’t for the logjam there wouldn’t really be any question that we’d be giving Walker another year to figure it out. Alonso is just crazy talk; as much as I love his bat, overspending for another 1B while still likely paying part of Walker’s salary is just insanity. Heyman was definitely just helping Boras create a market if he mentioned the Astros as a possibility. And again, it all puts us back at square 1 of trying to find a place to play Paredes.
Another possible candidate for the Walker swap could be Jeff McNeil. The Mets have a glut of younger infielders who they want to give ABs to and McNeil’s salary is a bit high for what he does. The only real discrepancy between Walker and McNeil is that Walker has another year, so they’d probably have to attach a prospect plus some cash to make it happen, but if we still manage some savings out of it, I think McNeil would be a really good fit. He plays a decent 2B and a high contact lefty with good plate discipline would be amazing at the bottom of the order.
I’d be down with Mullins if he came SUPER cheap but if not, I’d rather just give Cole/Melton a shot. O’Hearn isn’t a fit defensively, again don’t need another 1B/LF/DH type and he’s gonna be a little pricey. I’d like Yaz but I don’t know if he’s gonna come any cheaper than Sanchez and in that case I’d rather just keep Sanchez. Also calling Sanchez a bad defender doesn’t tell the whole story – he CAN be a very good defender. He just seems to have some bad mental lapses in the field. I would be intrigued to see how he does with some better coaching (especially offensively). Grisham is a guy I would love in a buy-low situation. But coming off a career year, I think he’s about to severely disappoint someone, Between his likely contract and the QO it’s gonna be a no from me.
I don’t see Willi Castro as he isn’t gonna be any cheaper than just keeping Dubon and Urias. They were definitely trying to buy low on Polanco last year but the Mariners went out on a huge limb for him and were rewarded. I think he’s gonna be out of our price range, and he’s as bad if not worse defensively than Altuve, so I don’t see it. Donovan would be a great fit but if there’s much competition we’re gonna have a hard time coming up with the prospects.
Dana said pretty explicitly that Paredes will not be the everyday 2B, and he doesn’t gain anything by lying about that, so I’m inclined to believe him. His statements about not trading him were also way more detailed and emphatic than his statements on Walker, and openly admitting that he’s shopping Walker would hurt his leverage, so I don’t believe Dana when he says they haven’t discussed trading Walker. I think extending Dubon is a good idea as he’ll always be a useful bench guy and giving him the long term security would probably reduce his yearly salary from his projected arbitration figure. I think Cam is gonna be fine, I think Dana is just trying to light a fire under him, It’s clear that he hit a wall when he topped his previous high in games played in a season, I think having been through it once will make a big difference next year. New hitting coaches should help too,
My ideal opening day roster would look like this:
Pena SS
Paredes 1B
Alvarez DH/LF
Altuve LF/DH
Correa 3B
Diaz/Caratini C
Cole (vs RHP)/Meyers (vs LHP) CF
Smith RF
McNeil 2B
Dubon UTIL
Urias IF
Meyers/Cole OF
Caratini/Diaz C
SP1 Brown
SP2 Cease
SP3 Verlander
SP4 Javier
SP5 Arrighetti
SP6 Pearson/McCullers/Alexander
Very detailed!
I do think it could be prudent to trade Meyers, I’m skeptical that he can replicate his offensive success from last year and his stock will never be higher. That being said he would make the perfect 4th OF/short side platoon partner for Cole/Melton. I don’t think Leon would have been viable. He simply isn’t a major league player. All tools no skills. If they don’t trade Jake I’m fine with Trammell as the 4th OF unless/until Cole or Melton plays their way into the CF job. I don’t see a Luis Robert trade happening till the deadline, the Sox want to give him the chance to rebuild his value. No point in selling low on him right now. Plus we’d have to eat a lot of his money or give up better prospects to get the Sox to eat his money.
I’ve heard conflicting reports of whether they crossed the CBT or not, but CBT calculations are based on AAV, so they could not have manipulated Correa’s money. His hit is simply the AAV of his contract minus the AAV of how much money the Twins are covering for the remainder.
Whether they went over or not, draft picks will definitely not factor into their pursuit of Cease. The question will only be if they can get him at a contract length that they’re comfortable with. If they can, I do think Crane will say “screw it” and go over in 2026. But I think Cease is the only player they will do that for. That being said I love Brandon Woodruff as a plan B and he’s definitely not getting more than 3 years. Imai would be great too, would love to get into the Japanese market. For a back end starter, plenty of options I like but I think a JV reunion feels more and more inevitable.
Yeah my patience with Yanier has run pretty thin. I’d definitely be willing to discuss him in an Alcantara trade, especially considering that Alcantara’s salary is quite team friendly and Yanier only has one more year of team control than Alcantara. I don’t know how valuable Yanier would be to a team in the early stages of a rebuild, but the Marlins are looking like possible contenders next year. And Augustin Ramirez is even worse defensively than Yanier, they could definitely split catching and DH/1B duties.
Okamoto sounds like an interesting bat, but there’s no point in trading Walker just to bring in another 1B/LF/DH type. Alonso is crazy talk. As much as I’d love his bat, bringing in another aging, top of market 1B while likely still paying part of Walker’s salary is literal insanity. Whatever Heyman said about Alonso in Houston is undoubtedly info planted by Boras to drive up the market. And again, leaves us back at square 1 with not having a defensive home for Paredes, who Dana explicitly said will not be an everyday 2B.
I’d be down with Mullins if he came EXTREMELY cheap, but otherwise I would rather just roll with Cole/Melton. Yaz would make a solid 4th OF but I don’t know that he would cost any less than just keeping Sanchez who has a lot more upside. Also I don’t think Sanchez is a “bad” defender necessarily… he’s capable of being very good in the field. He just makes a lot of boneheaded mistakes, which I would hope could be coached out of him. O’Hearn is not a good fit defensively and will be too expensive for a bench guy. Grisham is a guy I’d love in a buy-low scenario, but coming off a career year that’s way above his career norms and having a QO attached? Someone is gonna overpay for him and likely be very disappointed. I don’t want that to be us.
I like Willi Castro but he’s not gonna be any cheaper than just keeping Urias and Dubon, so I don’t see much gained there. Polanco was a guy we definitely wanted to buy low on last year, but Seattle went out on a huge limb with the deal they gave him and were rewarded. Now he’ll be a lot more expensive, and he’s just as bad if not worse defensively than Altuve, so that’s a tough fit. Brendan Donovan would be an amazing fit if we have the capital to trade for him. If we don’t though, one new option who could be a potential return in a Walker trade is Jeff McNeil. The biggest discrepancy between him and Walker is that Walker has one more year on his deal, but if they find a way to make the money work, I would absolutely love that trade and I think it would help both teams. A high contact lefty with good plate discipline would be amazing at the bottom of the lineup, and he plays a solid 2B.
I think Cam will be fine next year. I think Dana is just trying to light a fire under him, It’s clear he hit a wall when he blew past his previous high in games played in a season. Having now experienced 162, I think he’ll be a lot more prepared next year, and the new hitting coaches could go a long way with him,
Overall, my perfect offseason would be to sign Cease and Verlander, trade Walker for McNeil, re-sign Caratini and stand pat on the other bench guys, and find one more late inning reliever.
Sorry I thought my first reply got deleted so I replied twice, most of the same info in both haha.
Cue the Baltimore Doomers. They’re going to eat the bait and start bashing Elias, Os, etc and go down the rabbit hole.
That said, this is standard Elias fare for this time of year, maybe with extra emphasis right now because of the down year. Elias always has his teams scour all baseball channels, waivers, jr leagues, and international options for possible buy low candidates. Lots of under-the-radar arms, former top prospects, players who have fallen off radars..one of the things I’ve noticed is how Elias’ team looks for teams that have depth at a position, and targets their cuts as possible pickups. He collects these guys and hordes them so that they can evaluate them in camp later. Many gets cut. Some pop in Spring. This is how we first got Cano, Albert Suarez, Ryan O’Hearn, and Akin.
They’re mining for value, and hoping to run into a player who has some quality and needs a shot for it to emerge.