TRADE SZN
How Astros trade could bolster lineup by doing the unthinkable
The Houston Astros reportedly have their trade deadline wishlist put together, and two players at the top of the list are Guardians' starting pitcher Shane Bieber and Marlins' outfielder/DH Jorge Soler.
While Soler makes sense for several reasons, a deep dive into Bieber's stats should give the Astros cause for pause. He's falling off significantly according to advanced stats, despite having a 3.57 ERA.
Another thing to question is whether manager Dusty Baker would play Soler enough to make the trade make sense. Yainer Diaz is clearly the better option than Martin Maldonado, but still rarely gets playing time.
We've seen this before from Baker. He wouldn't play Chas McCormick regularly which caused GM at the time, James Click, to trade Myles Straw to clear the way for McCormick. And let's not forget Baker rarely playing catcher Christian Vazquez last year after he was traded to Houston from the Red Sox.
With all this in mind, is there a scenario where Astros GM Dana Brown feels he has to trade Maldonado to get more opportunities for Diaz? Rumor has it that Justin Verlander would like to see Maldonado on the Mets.
You don't want to miss the video above as we lay out all the possible scenarios.
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