Martin Maldonado traded to the Astros

[rafibomb]

Reading the reaction among various Astros sites they definitely don't like that they had to give up Sandoval. 

[Pujols4MVP]

I don't mind them trading to the Astros. The only division Rival i'd support in the playoffs. Always felt bad for them when the Whitesox trampled them in 2005. Beating the Dodgers in the WS earns them some props too.

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Troll Daddy said:

I guess that would include you too ... lighten up it's just a message board

yes that would include me.  The only time I have questioned the amount something cost was due to having knowledge of what it would have taken to acquire the player.  And I am light.

 

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, rafibomb said:

Reading the reaction among various Astros sites they definitely don't like that they had to give up Sandoval. 

There is a bit of rage in Astrosland

[itsKnoppUitsme]

4 minutes ago, Scioscia4MVP said:

This means Briceno gets a shot as a starter ? I have a good feeling about Briceno cause he hit a HR In his first game just like Mike Napoli !

So that he can be benched in favor of a NoHit/defensive minded catcher!

 

[Pujols4MVP]

12 minutes ago, Taylor said:

He went to MVHS. I swore I knew a baseball player with the last name Sandoval when I went to MVHS. Do you know if he has an older brother?

Mission Viejo HS i'm assuming ? How awesome.

[tdawg87]

Astro Oracle has HAD it with Jeff Luhnow! 

More like Jeff Luhnever!!! 

[Pujols4MVP]

Just now, itsKnoppUitsme said:

So that he can be benched in favor of a NoHit/defensive minded catcher!

 

What would scioscia do if we have 2 offensive minded catchers, I thought Rene Rivera was putting up good numbers too.

In 2019 he can't bench both of them, so he's gonna come out of retirement & catch ?

[Docwaukee]

don't expect Briceno to be a viable long term option.  

[totdprods]

Fairly surprised the Halos moved Maldy, even with his pending FA. I imagine they're either heavily invested in re-signing him this offseason, or have their eyes on a bigger prize. He seemed to be entrenched in the Angels immediate future catching plans. 

And Sandoval is a great return - he was taken in that 11th Round, so he's basically a more advanced and productive Jerryell Rivera. 

This also firmly places the Halos into the seller's market and I expect the relievers to be getting a lot of attention, especially with the big returns they've been getting in trades.

[bloodbrother]

Just now, Dochalo said:

don't expect Briceno to be a viable long term option.  

Agreed. .290 career OBP% throughout his minor league career. Likely future is as a backup C

[Chuck]

Actually it doesn't make sense to deal for Realmuto when the likes of Grandal and Ramos are free agents this offseason. 

Get one of them and call it good. 

[T.G.]

Realmuto would be a pipe dream...

[GrittyVeterans]

Get Grandal. We need left handed power

[T.G.]

I guess it's official...

 

The Angels are Sellers!

[bloodbrother]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

Actually it doesn't make sense to deal for Realmuto when the likes of Grandal and Ramos are free agents this offseason. 

Get one of them and call it good. 

Grandal. He's a switch hitter but would obviously be batting LH most of the time. Angels certainly could use some more LH bats in the lineup

[totdprods]

FWIW, very few of the prospects the Astros have traded away in recent years have really flopped. Almost all have continued success, even if only on a Trop/Conger level. So that's encouraging. 

They had a really good farm.

[Chuck]

Just now, bloodbrother said:

Grandal. He's a switch hitter but would obviously be batting LH most of the time. Angels certainly could use some more LH bats in the lineup

I like it. 

[Docwaukee]

Just now, Chuckster70 said:

Actually it doesn't make sense to deal for Realmuto when the likes of Grandal and Ramos are free agents this offseason. 

Get one of them and call it good. 

agree.  save those chips for a front line starter or true moto bat. 

[rafibomb]

Also keep in mind that Sandoval was the Astros 11th round pick. This is where teams usually go high upside and overslot, similar to the Angels drafting Connor Van Scoyoc this year and Jerryell Rivera last year. So imagine how much either of these guys would rise in a system where they post a 2.56 ERA, 0.97 WHIP with 97 SO and just 15 BB's in 88 innings. That's what Sandoval has done so far this year.

[Docwaukee]

1 minute ago, bloodbrother said:

Grandal. He's a switch hitter but would obviously be batting LH most of the time. Angels certainly could use some more LH bats in the lineup

He can also play 1b. 

[Blarg]

50 minutes ago, arch stanton said:

Is Rivera due back any time soon or will they add Geratol back to the 40 man?

Surprised AO hasn't registered and trademarked this.

[DMVol]

12 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

don't expect Briceno to be a viable long term option.  

He doesn’t have to be...

[2020worldseries]

 

[TroutField]

Pretty solid return for Maldonado who is a rental. His defense and pitch framing didn’t seem to be nearly as good as last year, just from the eye test. The actual stats could say differently. 

 

With the Angels officially being sellers, Eppler now has 2 years to put a contender together to get Trout to stay. Time is ticking. Moreno may have no choice but to blow past the luxury tax threshold unless he wants Trout to walk.