TEXANS TRADE TALK
Examining what it would take to bring Jamal Adams to the Texans
Jun 22, 2020, 11:38 am
Photo via: Jets/Facebook
Jets safety Jamal Adams is the best player at his position in the NFL and according to multiple reports, Adams is unhappy with his contract situation in New York and the All-Pro Safety wants out.
Let's be honest, there are 31 other teams in the NFL that would benefit from adding a player as good as Adams to their defense. The problem for the Houston Texans is that despite being one of the 8 teams that Adams has reportedly said he would prefer a trade to, Bill O'Brien's team doesn't have enough assets to swing a deal that Jets GM Joe Douglas would even consider making.
Any trade for Jamal Adams, who still has two years left on his rookie contract, would start with at least one first-round pick. Let's use former Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey as an example here. Ramsey was entering his fourth season in the league last year, just as Adams is with the Jets, and despite not having what was deemed a lot of leverage, Ramsey was still able to force his way out of Jacksonville. However, the compensation for Ramsey's services? Two first-round picks.
The Jets have all the leverage with Adams meaning that for Douglas to even consider trading him, the Jets would need to get a Ramsey level of compensation otherwise the Jets can just hold onto Adams. The new CBA makes it very difficult for a player to holdout. Adams can complain about his contract all he wants but ultimately the Jets can decide his fate. Plus, why would the Jets want to make him happy by trading him to a team he wants to go to?
I'm thrilled that the #Texans are on Jamal Adams trade list.
I know just the General Manager that loves to give up a lot in trades...
I'd like to be the first to welcome welcome JJ Watt and every Texans draft pick for the next decade to New York. 😂 pic.twitter.com/TkxOAmrRjo
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) June 18, 2020
Now Texans fans might recall 'Trader Bill' sending two first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 and a second-round pick in 2021 to the Dolphins for Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil last year. That means Houston is without a first or second-round selection in the upcoming 2021 draft. So why would the Jets even consider trading Adams to a team that couldn't give them the needed draft compensation? They wouldn't.
Well, what if O'Brien calls up Douglas and decides to offer top draft picks in 2022 and players on the current roster to try to get a deal done. In theory, that could work but wouldn't O'Brien be cutting off his team's nose to spite his team's face? Does it really make any sense to continue to mortgage your future when the reality is, as good of a player as Adams is, he still plays a non-premium position? Adams doesn't guarantee that the Texans are winning a championship in 2020 not to mention the fact that he is going to want a new contract that will impact the Texans' salary cap in the years to come. Can the Texans really afford to pay a box safety a reported 17 or 18 million dollars a year? The answer is no. Especially when a new contract to the team's franchise quarterback, Deshaun Watson, is on the horizon.
Jamal Adams would look great in a Texans uniform but unfortunately for Texans fans, the same could be said for 31 other teams in the NFL. It's not happening.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.