What the Experts Are Saying Trade-wise…..

Earlier today, our buddy and the blog’s founder, Chip Bailey, pointed me to a “prospective” article on ESPN.

Of the seven proposed trades, three involve the Astros, which makes the article of interest to fans around these parts.

Let’s take a look at the three proposed trades for the Astros:

1. 3B Isaac Paredes and cash to the Pirates for LHP Hunter Barco and 3B Jared Triolo

So, let’s see, we are going to trade Paredes, a good-looking bat, along with some bucks to buy down a not-so-high salary for a left-handed starter, Barco, who has only pitched 3 innings in the majors, and for a good glove, not so great hitting 3B in Triolo, who will be arb-eligible in 2027.

Pluses – Barco has 6 seasons of team control, and Triolo has 4 seasons (if they still want him). Barco is a lefty, and the team is short of lefty starters with Framber Valdez gone. Also, perhaps Triolo will be less of a problem to sit and backup, second, third, and SS, than Paredes.

Minuses – Barco was OK at AAA, but (and stop me if you have heard this before) his 5+ walks per 9 innings in the minors do not bode well for the future or in distinguishing him from all the current pitchers fighting it out for the fifth and sixth spots in the Astros rotation.  Triolo is either a better-hitting Nick Allen or a much-worse-hitting Isaac Paredes. And the thing about the Astros is that unlike when they pick up pitchers and improve them, hitters come in and perform the same or often worse here.

Dan P says – Nope! If we are going to trade Paredes lets get something we need like a lefty OF and/or a big arm reliever.

• 1B Christian Walker + cash to Padres for RHP Bradgley Rodriguez 

Tough for Dan P to look down on any trade of Walker. The only question about the 2025 season – was this a season where Walker had reduced stats because of his age or because he struggled with playing in his new digs, Daiken Park? His stats on the road were comparable to his career numbers – .265 BA/ .311 OBP/ .793 OPS/ 19 HRs / 54 RBIs.His stats at home were just plain bad – .202 BA/ .279 OBP/ .622 OPS/ 8 HRs/ 34 RBIs. Was he just overwhelmed by trying to pull balls into the Crawford Boxes? Otherwise, I would like to see Paredes’ bat in the lineup everyday.

Pluses – Walker came across as Jose Abreu 2.0 in his first season in Houston and his 177 Ks was especially off-putting. Anyway, to off-load most of the 2 yrs/$40 million left on his contract is attractive. Rodriguez looked quite good in a short call-up with the big club and is fully controllable. He is just 22 and pitched solidly at AA and AAA in 2025.

Minuses – If Walker had hit the same at home as he did on the road, he would be around 40 homers and 110 RBIs. That would look good in this lineup. Rodriguez did have a low K rate at AAA in 2025, but that could be based on a small sample size.

Dan P says this is a decent trade, especially if the Astros are sending half of Walker’s salary along with him. Is it the best choice? I don’t know.

• CF Jake Meyers to Los Angeles Angels for OF Josh Lowe

This is a rather odd, suggested trade, since the Angels 3 weeks ago traded LHP Brock Burke and Minor league RHP Chris Clark in a three team trade to bring Josh Lowe back to them. Did he already disappoint them enough to send him packing? Not likely.

Pluses – Lowe hits left-handed. He has played all three OF positions in the majors (Meyers has only played CF). Lowe would only make $2.6 million in 2026 as compared to $3.5 million for Meyers. Lowe is a year and a half younger and has an additional season of control.

Minuses – Meyers is coming off his best hitting season in the majors (though he may be set to regress to the mean). Meyers has been a premier fielder in CF (with a noodle arm).  Lowe, after having a Chas McCormick-ish 2023 (20 HRs, 83 RBIs, .835 OPS) has had two seasons of fast diminishing returns.

Dan P says even if the Angels want to send Lowe packing, do the Astros want to latch onto someone whose hitting is on a downward spiral, even if he hits left-handed? Isn’t that how they got Jesus Sanchez? Dan P says – no.

That’s what Dan P thinks. Your turn….