Market Trends and Luke Scott

[Noe]

You know, just like everyone else, I fully expect Luke Scott to be traded.  Chris Burke?  Yeah, him too.  Go ahead and put me down as expecting Matt Albers to be someone the Astros will float out there in a deal if the idea is to create a package with either Scott or Burke or both.

But yesterday the Astros and Padres were reported to be close to signing off on a deal for Luke Scott.  For who?  No one really knows, but some speculate it was for at best Nick Hundley, at worse Max Venable.  Why would the Astros make that deal now?  Well, they wouldn't.  But it is to gauge the interest of the Padres when it comes to a need (remember, all GMs had a meeting in the same room to begin the winter meetings to state publically what they were wanting to acquire for their team).  The Padres are one of a handful of teams who want a right fielder and left handed hitter.  So it stands to reason to give them a call and see what the interest may be.

Right now, until the Padres and other team similar to them who are looking at Fukudome as the primary get, the return won't be much.  But wait until Fukudome signs and the payout just becomes better.  No way Houston will deal at a bargain price when they know that they need to just wait out the market (Fukudome needs to be out of the picture first) before they sell.  Scott will be traded and perhaps looking at all the teams interested in Fukudome will help establish the market for him (sans the Cubs, I doubt Houston and Chicago will deal with one another).

So what about Chris Burke?  Is the Loretta, Iguchi free agency holding back trades for Burke?  I think it's a little different for Burke.  While Houston can legitimately say that they will hold on to Scott as their fourth outfielder (and why not?), the word on the street is that Burke is not long to be an Astro.  So the market is different for him.  Is it David Aardsma worthy?  Maybe that is the extent of what you can reasonably expect back.  Clint Barmes?  Yeah, same difference.  So maybe Burke is a package candidate with an Albers for a stronger get back.

[kevwun]

The package deal sounds right to me in regards to Burke.  I don't see how we'll get anyone useful for him straight up.  It's hard for me to be objective when thinking about deal involving him.

[jaklewein]

You know, just like everyone else, I fully expect Luke Scott to be traded.  Chris Burke?  Yeah, him too.  Go ahead and put me down as expecting Matt Albers to be someone the Astros will float out there in a deal if the idea is to create a package with either Scott or Burke or both.

But yesterday the Astros and Padres were reported to be close to signing off on a deal for Luke Scott.  For who?  No one really knows, but some speculate it was for at best Nick Hundley, at worse Max Venable.  Why would the Astros make that deal now?  Well, they wouldn't.  But it is to gauge the interest of the Padres when it comes to a need (remember, all GMs had a meeting in the same room to begin the winter meetings to state publically what they were wanting to acquire for their team).  The Padres are one of a handful of teams who want a right fielder and left handed hitter.  So it stands to reason to give them a call and see what the interest may be.

Right now, until the Padres and other team similar to them who are looking at Fukudome as the primary get, the return won't be much.  But wait until Fukudome signs and the payout just becomes better.  No way Houston will deal at a bargain price when they know that they need to just wait out the market (Fukudome needs to be out of the picture first) before they sell.  Scott will be traded and perhaps looking at all the teams interested in Fukudome will help establish the market for him (sans the Cubs, I doubt Houston and Chicago will deal with one another).

So what about Chris Burke?  Is the Loretta, Iguchi free agency holding back trades for Burke?  I think it's a little different for Burke.  While Houston can legitimately say that they will hold on to Scott as their fourth outfielder (and why not?), the word on the street is that Burke is not long to be an Astro.  So the market is different for him.  Is it David Aardsma worthy?  Maybe that is the extent of what you can reasonably expect back.  Clint Barmes?  Yeah, same difference.  So maybe Burke is a package candidate with an Albers for a stronger get back.

Question:  Is it possible that a couple of those prospects (the SD prospects listed above to be specific) might be valued by a club that owns, and is willing to trade, a #2 type SP?

[Noe]

Question:  Is it possible that a couple of those prospects (the SD prospects listed above to be specific) might be valued by a club that owns, and is willing to trade, a #2 type SP?

Max Venable isn't a prospect, he's a left pitcher who has had horrible seasons in the past (most recent memory was with the Rangers).  Hundley is the quasi-prospect, but no one really knows if he rates out to be a regular or a Eric Munson journeyman type at this point.

[Noe]

The package deal sounds right to me in regards to Burke.  I don't see how we'll get anyone useful for him straight up.  It's hard for me to be objective when thinking about deal involving him.

You won't, and I agree, Burke is a package deal seems the more likely scenario in a trade unless you're willing to take scraps or low minor league b-level prospects at this time for him.  BTW - the Rockies are giving Iguchi a looksee and they seem to be the only team that is willing to talk second base with him.  All other Iguchi suitors are interested in him as a third baseman.

Burke's chance of playing full time for someone at second are getting slimmer and slimmer every day.

[jaklewein]

Max Venable isn't a prospect, he's a left pitcher who has had horrible seasons in the past (most recent memory was with the Rangers).  Hundley is the quasi-prospect, but no one really knows if he rates out to be a regular or a Eric Munson journeyman type at this point.

Ok, so the answer is "no".  I was just hoping that Wade was trying to acquire a building block for another trade.  

[At Ease]

Max Venable isn't a prospect, he's a left pitcher who has had horrible seasons in the past (most recent memory was with the Rangers).

Right, but thankfully aren't the Astros supposedly interested in Will Venable, a AA outfielder for the San Antonio Missions, who despite unspectacular numbers last year, still seems a fringe prospect...

[Jacksonian]

Right, but thankfully aren't the Astros supposedly interested in Will Venable, a AA outfielder for the San Antonio Missions, who despite unspectacular numbers last year, still seems a fringe prospect...

I've heard he's something of a raw talent still.  Apparently he hasn't focused on baseball for all that long.

[BUWebguy]

From a recent BA chat:

Q:    Ben from Leland Grove asks:
Is Venable still one of SD's better bats, and did he get consideration for the list?

 A:    
Will Lingo: Venable is in that 21-25 group, but there were enough questions about him that ultimately I didn't put him on the list. The people who like him think he's a do-everything player who makes all the plays in center or left (below-average arm) and is a gap to gap hitter who should add power. Detractors thought his defense was questionable and his swing was long, and they saw him more as a fourth outfielder.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/printer/p265011.html

[Greg]

Why Albers? I seem to remember the Astros going to great lengths to keep him in the organization or, at the very least, being high on him. I guess now they know what sort of pitcher he will be?

[Matt]

Why Albers? I seem to remember the Astros going to great lengths to keep him in the organization or, at the very least, being high on him. I guess now they know what sort of pitcher he will be?

Albers because he's probably attractive to other clubs.  You can't trade people that suck and you don't think highly of and expect to get anything.

[hostros7]

I saw Will Venable play a few times when he was at Princeton.  He was certainly one of the more talented players on the field but I wasn't incredibly impressed, and that was against Ivy League competition.  That being said, he was a 2 sport athelete in sports where the seasons overlap.  Maybe with the focus on one sport and top notch coaching he could develop into a special player.