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SirGreatWhite · 06-22-2019, 11:40 AM

The Astros acquired left handed reliever Zack Britton along with backup catcher Austin Romine, minor league RHP Matt Frawley and cash from the New York Yankees in exchange for RF Josh Reddick, RHP Collin McHugh, and RHP Josh James.

Britton gives the Astros a strong left handed presence in the bullpen. He will act as a setup guy and occasional closer. He is under contract for 2 more seasons at $13 million each year, plus a team option for year 3 at $14 million. The Yankees are paying a little over $3.3 million of Britton's salary for the upcoming season.

Romine will provide quality at the backup catcher position. He is under contract for 2 more season at around $2.7 million each year. Both players are 31 years old. Frawley, 24, has played in A+ and AA leagues each of the past two season. He's had great numbers at A+ but has struggled in AA. He will likely start the spring with the Astros AA affiliate.

Trading 3 popular players in the Houston community like Reddick, McHugh, and James certainly won't go over well and will look a little lopsided in terms of talent exchanging between teams. Reddick is a free agent after this upcoming season. He had a solid year last year, hitting .288 w/ 17 HR and 92 RBI's. He was nearly an all star selection, but he cooled off significantly in the second half. His batting average in July was around .315. With the Astros having significant depth in the corner outfield positions, especially with top hitting prospect Kyle Tucker normally playing the same position as Reddick, the Astros needed to clear the log jam in the outfield.

McHugh has been both a full time starter and a full time reliever on different occasions in his years in Houston. He was likely to be moved back to a full time bullpen role for this coming season and would serve as the Astros emergency starter. He was not too happy about that projected role, especially after signing a 3 year extension with the team in the season prior. His departure will clear the Astros of that contract, but at a cost...Josh James.

James had to be included in the deal. He was ranked as a top 100 prospect in baseball last season and has shown flashes of brilliance the last two seasons. He struggled with his command early in the season, but got in a groove down the stretch. He can hit 100 MPH on the radar with ease and has a nice slider to go with that heat. At 26 (soon to be 27) though, he's not as young as normal top 100 prospects. The Astros have a bevvy of power arms in their minor leagues. While not all of them can reach 100 MPH with the ease that James does, the void left can be filled.

All in all, the Astros save remove close to $25.5 million in salaries and pick up around $12.4 million (including the $3M+ the Yankees are contributing to Britton's salary). That gives the Astros significant cap space to pursue a couple of options:

They've had their eye on the top free agent catcher, Yasmani Grandal since last offseason. They also have been linked to RF/3B Nick Castellanos - formerly of Detroit - who is also a free agent. Both players are likely to command salaries in the $14M+ range. The Astros have been hesitant to give out long term (and big money) contracts to players already established in the big leagues during free agency, will keep a close eye. They also may look to add bullpen depth.

One thing is for sure, they are still in prime position to be a championship contender for 2020!

06-22-2019, 11:40 AM	#31
SirGreatWhite Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Texas Posts: 59	Offseason - First big trade! The Astros acquired left handed reliever Zack Britton along with backup catcher Austin Romine, minor league RHP Matt Frawley and cash from the New York Yankees in exchange for RF Josh Reddick, RHP Collin McHugh, and RHP Josh James. Britton gives the Astros a strong left handed presence in the bullpen. He will act as a setup guy and occasional closer. He is under contract for 2 more seasons at $13 million each year, plus a team option for year 3 at $14 million. The Yankees are paying a little over $3.3 million of Britton's salary for the upcoming season. Romine will provide quality at the backup catcher position. He is under contract for 2 more season at around $2.7 million each year. Both players are 31 years old. Frawley, 24, has played in A+ and AA leagues each of the past two season. He's had great numbers at A+ but has struggled in AA. He will likely start the spring with the Astros AA affiliate. Trading 3 popular players in the Houston community like Reddick, McHugh, and James certainly won't go over well and will look a little lopsided in terms of talent exchanging between teams. Reddick is a free agent after this upcoming season. He had a solid year last year, hitting .288 w/ 17 HR and 92 RBI's. He was nearly an all star selection, but he cooled off significantly in the second half. His batting average in July was around .315. With the Astros having significant depth in the corner outfield positions, especially with top hitting prospect Kyle Tucker normally playing the same position as Reddick, the Astros needed to clear the log jam in the outfield. McHugh has been both a full time starter and a full time reliever on different occasions in his years in Houston. He was likely to be moved back to a full time bullpen role for this coming season and would serve as the Astros emergency starter. He was not too happy about that projected role, especially after signing a 3 year extension with the team in the season prior. His departure will clear the Astros of that contract, but at a cost...Josh James. James had to be included in the deal. He was ranked as a top 100 prospect in baseball last season and has shown flashes of brilliance the last two seasons. He struggled with his command early in the season, but got in a groove down the stretch. He can hit 100 MPH on the radar with ease and has a nice slider to go with that heat. At 26 (soon to be 27) though, he's not as young as normal top 100 prospects. The Astros have a bevvy of power arms in their minor leagues. While not all of them can reach 100 MPH with the ease that James does, the void left can be filled. All in all, the Astros save remove close to $25.5 million in salaries and pick up around $12.4 million (including the $3M+ the Yankees are contributing to Britton's salary). That gives the Astros significant cap space to pursue a couple of options: They've had their eye on the top free agent catcher, Yasmani Grandal since last offseason. They also have been linked to RF/3B Nick Castellanos - formerly of Detroit - who is also a free agent. Both players are likely to command salaries in the $14M+ range. The Astros have been hesitant to give out long term (and big money) contracts to players already established in the big leagues during free agency, will keep a close eye. They also may look to add bullpen depth. One thing is for sure, they are still in prime position to be a championship contender for 2020!