11:15 am: The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Roman confirmed Houston’s interest in Smith, Paredes and Gill in a report this morning, while also noting the Astros’ outfield feel against the Cubs interest Seiya Suzuki. Suzuki himself was a trade candidate, but club brass downplayed their interest in trading him. The reluctance to part with Suzuki was confirmed by reports from Rosenthal and Rome, who noted it was “extremely unlikely” the Cubs would move him.
10:03 AM: This comes after Astros general manager Dana Brown admitted earlier this week that the club has not ruled out trading the pair. Kyle Tucker With free agency approaching next winter, Joel Sherman of the New York Post described the Yankees as one of the “most serious” teams pursuing the outfielder. Sherman added that the Cubs are also considered a “strong player” in the market for Tucker, with the Giants also involved. According to Sherman, the Phillies have “at least inquired” about Tucker before, but while they’ve tried to work out a package for the outfielder, it’s unclear if they’re still in the market for him.
Since then, there has been increasing discussion surrounding the possibility of a Tucker trade. Juan Soto Signed to a record-breaking contract with the Mets, it’s no surprise that as the Yankees turn to their contingency plans in case they fail to reunite with Soto, they’d be involved in talks for another star right fielder . New York and Chicago are both interested in Tucker’s services, but Sherman’s report specifically suggests the Astros are prioritizing major league-ready infield corners and starting rotation help amid trade talks surrounding Tucker. While the Yankees themselves lack corner infield talent, the club reached an agreement with the lefty Max Fried Yesterday, in an effort to create a surplus in the rotation, Sherman added that the Astros are said to be “very interested” in the reigning AL Rookie of the Year Louis Gill.
In contrast, the Cubs have a ton of young talent, and the Astros appear to be prioritizing that. Top infield prospects Matt Shaw Primarily a second baseman, but will spend most of the 2024 season as a third baseman. Sherman noted that Shaw will be a first-round pick in 2024 Cam Smith and the current third baseman. Isaac Paredes ‘Attractive’ to Astros as they face risk of losing longtime third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency. While it wasn’t noted in Sherman’s report, it’s worth noting that Chicago has a number of young pitchers that could theoretically provide, including Javier Assad, Jordan Weeks, Ben Brownand Hayden Wesneski.
As for the other teams mentioned in the Sherman Report, both clubs would also qualify, at least in theory, for the Houston report. Giants have former top player Marco Luciano and powerful practical man Tyler Fitzgerald As a third base option that could be attractive to the Astros, the right-hander Hayden Birdsong and Mason Black One of the more interesting young pitchers the club can offer. It’s unclear if those names have been discussed or how interested Houston would be in them, but San Francisco has a slew of young options in both areas. After the team landed, the infielders performed particularly well. Willie Adams In free agency, the same can be said if rotation players successfully pursue their reported targets. corbyn burns.
Meanwhile, the Phillies are known for finishing in third place Alec Bohm A trade could be made, but probably wouldn’t fit the Astros’ needs well. The infielder has just two years of team control remaining, and it seems unlikely that a solid but unremarkable third baseman for two years will get the chance to get a one-year opportunity with a star player like Tucker. The Phillies could replenish their starting pitching package including Boehm, but it would be shocking if the club was willing to part ways with a top prospect Andrew Painter and other options such as Mick Abell and Seth Johnson Probably not nearly as encouraging for the Astros.
