Astros deadline setting up to be departure of style from previous seasons, GMs
PRESENTED BY COORS LIGHT
28 July 2023
The MLB trade deadline is just days away and we're hearing a lot of rumblings about what the Astros might do. Houston GM Dana Brown said he plans to be aggressive, but do we really know what that means?
This is Brown's first deadline as a GM, and with the Astros farm system depleted of top end talent, this appears to be a tough challenge for the rookie GM.
The other thing to keep in mind, is how this deadline will shine some light on what Brown prioritizes. Does he see things the same way as the Astros front office has in the past? Coveting pitchers with high spin rate and leaning on advanced analytics?
Or will he continue what Jeff Bagwell started in the offseason preferring to use the eye test and traditional scouting techniques that have existed in baseball for decades?
The other thing to factor in is the limited number of teams looking to sell at the deadline. Brown may not have the luxury of trading for exactly who he wants, and might have to simply settle on some players that can help this team, regardless of what the advanced analytics say.
It sure seems Bagwell's approach has backfired this year, with the signings of Michael Brantley, Rafael Montero, and Jose Abreu all looking like mistakes at this point in the season.
Be sure to watch the video above as we cover all the angles on the Astros trade deadline, and much more!
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Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela had consecutive RBI singles in a six-run fourth inning filled with five Houston mistakes, Lucas Giolito pitched a season-high eight stellar innings, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Astros 6-1 on Sunday to complete a series sweep.
Connor Wong added a sacrifice fly and Wilyer Abreu was credited with a sacrifice on a safety squeeze for an RBI during the inning, sending Boston to its third straight win over the AL West leaders and fourth in a row overall.
Giolito (8-2) gave up the run on three hits with four strikeouts and a walk, eclipsing his previous season-high innings of 7 2/3 on July 4.
Carlos Correa, acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline, hit a homer for Houston, which has lost eight of 10.
The game’s first pitch was 11:38 a.m. EDT, the third time this season the Red Sox began a game in the morning. The others: their annual Patriots’ Day game when they beat the White Sox and the Independence Day victory at the Nationals.
Framber Valdez (11-5) gave up six runs, four earned, over six innings, ending his personal 10-game winning streak. He entered 10-0 with a 1.84 ERA in his previous 14 starts.
Key moment
During the fourth, Houston missed a cutoff on Story’s run-scoring single, Valdez had a wild pitch, balked home a run and had Abreu’s bunt go under his glove for an error. Yainer Diaz had a passed ball.
Key stat
Valdez hadn’t allowed three runs in an inning since May 19.
Up next
Astros: RHP Jason Alexander (1-1, 7.36 ERA) is slated to start the opener of a three-game series at the Marlins on Monday.
Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19) is set to start the first of three against the Royals on Monday.
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