J.J. Watt and Kealia Ohai Watt along with a few Astros step up in time of need for Houston
Houston's athletes donate to help in time of need
Mar 16, 2020, 4:35 am
J.J. Watt and Kealia Ohai Watt along with a few Astros step up in time of need for Houston
With school and work shutting down for thousands of Houstonians the Houston Food Bank received some financial help from some of Houston's biggest stars. The Food Bank will assist students who depend on free lunches, among others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#Astros All-Star OF George Springer donating $100K to the employees at Minute Maid Park who are impacted by the cancellation of events: “These are the people that help take care of my family when I go to work. Now I want to help take care of them when they’re in a time of need.”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 14, 2020
An incredible gesture by George Springer in the same vein as Kevin Love of the Cavaliers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks in the NBA.
With our help, @HoustonFoodBank is assembling quarantine food kits so our students and their families don’t need to worry about their next 28 meals. Please join me in helping our community, every little bit counts! https://t.co/fr7eCRGvNP https://t.co/XpOxyeu9XU
— Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) March 14, 2020
Alex Bregman took care of a tremendous amount of meals. As schools close down students who depend on free breakfast and lunches lose the ease of access to their meals.
I will be following @ABREG_1 lead & donating 10 k meals to the @HoustonFoodBank to help these families in need during this time!!! Houston will always come together in times of need. Please join us! @karaleighhh @LMcCullersJrFdn 🤘 https://t.co/19zvT2ObMj https://t.co/AjILtPK1Ea
— Lance McCullers Jr. (@LMcCullers43) March 15, 2020
Following the lead of his teammate Alex Bregman, Astros pitcher Lance McCullers also helped out on the food front.
Sports stars @JJWatt and @KealiaOhai made a generous donation to the Houston Food Bank so we can continue to serve our community during this time of great need. Thank you both for helping us remain a safety net for southeast Texas! https://t.co/bcQO25dVSv
— Houston Food Bank (@HoustonFoodBank) March 15, 2020
J.J. Watt and his family are no stranger to charity. Watt of course raised $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief. He paid for the funerals of students and teachers who were slain in a school shooting.
Now Watt and his wife Kealia Ohai Watt have stepped up with a very generous donation. The Houston Food Bank explains every one dollar provides three meals. So, in theory, the donation provides over one million meals.
#Rockets CEO @tadbbrown: “We’re putting together a plan to take care of our part-time employees during their time of need.” https://t.co/OsHtlH506R
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) March 13, 2020
Many NBA teams, in the midst of their season, have started to do the same.
If you'd like to donate to the Houston Food Bank you can at this link
With Tuesday’s trade deadline fast approaching, the Astros will look to add the necessary pieces to sustain their recent winning ways and make another playoff run this season.
It's no secret Houston is in need of rotation help with players such as J.P. France, Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy all needing season-ending surgeries. Even considering the presumptive returns of Justin Verlander and Luis Garcia in some capacity, it would behoove the Astros to acquire more pitching options to help solidify their rotation.
General manager Dana Brown has made it clear he will be looking to add both starting pitchers and players who can play first base.
Astros fans should expect their team to make a move or two by Tuesday’s deadline, just as they have done in years past.
Zach Eflin
Recent reports suggest the Astros are one of several teams interested in Rays’ pitcher Zach Eflin who has a 5-7 record and 4.09 ERA this season.
The 30-year-old signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Rays prior to the 2023 season and would be an affordable option for the Astros if they were to acquire him.
Although the Rays have a 52-51 record, it doesn't seem like they will become buyers at the trade deadline and could sell off some of their pieces while staying competitive.
Historically speaking, Tampa Bay has never been afraid to let their higher level pitchers go as they did with Blake Snell prior to the 2021 season and Tyler Glasnow during this past offseason
The Rays have multiple pitchers returning from injuries and can afford to let someone like Eflin go.
The only pause the Astros might have is the asking price in return from the Rays. If this is the case, there are other short-term pitching options the Astros could look to instead.
Jack Flaherty
The Tigers are stuck in the middle between good and bad and don’t seem to be playoff contenders this season, making them an ideal candidate to become sellers at the trade deadline.
One of the biggest names on the trading block recently has been Jack Flaherty who has a 7-5 record with a 2.92 ERA and 133 strikeouts this season.
Considering he's a free agent at the end of the year, it shouldn’t cost the Astros much in return to acquire the Tigers' pitcher.
Houston has not been directly linked to the 28-year-old, but he could be a low-risk, high-reward rotation piece.
Flaherty could be a perfect number 3 or 4 option in the rotation behind Framber Valdez, Ronel Blanco and Hunter Brown.
Yusei Kikuchi
Similarly to Flaherty, Yusei Kikuchi is on a Blue Jays team with little to no playoff hopes this year and is set to become a free agent at the end of this season.
Toronto has already hinted at becoming sellers at the trade deadline and could look to offset many of their impending free agents.
Kikuchi’s record at 4-9 and 4.54 ERA might not be impressive, but he does have 133 strikeouts this season and can be a reliable back end of the rotation piece for the Astros if acquired.
Adding a starting pitcher is certainly a priority, but Houston will also scour the market for first base options as well.
Isaac Paredes
The Astros have been connected to Rays’ infielder Isaac Parades in the last few days and it seems to make sense for both sides.
As mentioned earlier, Tampa Bay is in an interesting situation this season and could become pseudo sellers by the deadline.
The Rays have a plethora of infielders in their origination and can afford to trade someone like Parades and still remain competitive.
The 25-year-old can play first or third base, and has been used as a designated hitter this season as well. Parades has a slash line of .250/.353 /.797 and could be an improvement at first base over Jon Singleton.
Acquiring him could be affordable as his salary is only $3.4MM this year. Parades has three additional years of club control, and his defensive versatility could make him a perfect long-term addition to this Astros’ roster.
Brent Rooker
This one might be a stretch, but would it be shocking to see the A’s let go of one of their best players? The answer is no. Brent Rooker has had a remarkable season, hitting near .300 and becoming one of Oakland’s most consistent bats in their lineup.
The 29-year-old has been the A’s primary designated hitter this season, but has the ability to play both corner outfield positions as well.
Even though Houston doesn't need another DH/outfielder, Rooker's bat would be an upgrade in the lineup and could give the Astros another weapon to add to their offensive arsenal.
Although not as likely as the other candidates mentioned, Rooker would be a more realistic and cheaper option to acquire than someone like Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Honorable Mentions
Starting pitchers Jameson Taillon (Cubs) and Erick Fedde (White Sox) have been linked to the Astros recently, and either would be an ideal fit.
Both players would add necessary pitching depth, and either could fit in seamlessly as a 4th or 5th starter in the rotation.
Needless to say, Houston seems to be casting a wide net to increase their odds of landing someone who can help the team immediately.
An ideal scenario would be for the Astros to acquire at least one pitcher and use a six-man rotation once Verlanader and Garcia come back at some point this year.
It would be beneficial for the Astros to acquire an extra starting pitcher or two to add to their rotation and maybe another option who can play first base as well to ensure this team continues to improve and make another run at the postseason this year.