By Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane)
Major League Baseball's trade deadline is fast approaching, and while the Astros appear to have their third straight American League West title well in hand, it feels like they need to upgrade their pitching staff in order to win a second World Series in the last three years. This is the fifth straight season the Astros have been in position to be buyers at the deadline, so let's take a look at the deals Jeff Luhnow has made at this time in the past.
Date: July 23, 2015
Trade: Daniel Mengden and Jacob Nottingham to Oakland for Scott Kazmir
Impact: In Kazmir's first two starts with the Astros he didn't allow a run in 14.2 innings, but his ERA climbed to 3.94 in the five starts after that, and ballooned to 6.52 in his final six regular season starts. He did pitch into the sixth inning in his only playoff outing, but was not re-signed after that, and the Dodgers signed him to a disastrous three-year, $48 million deal after that. Nottingham was traded to Milwaukee 7 months later and has appeared in 15 big league games with the Brewers, Mengden has a 4.64 ERA in 281 innings with the A's, though he's taken a step back this season.
Date: July 30, 2015
Trade: Josh Hader, Adrian Houser, Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana to Milwaukee for Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers
Impact: Aside from a couple of playoff home runs, Gomez was lousy during his Astros tenure. Fiers pitched well after the trade, but was a below average starter in 2016 and 2017, though he did give the Astros quality innings in the middle of the 2017 season when the team's rotation was a bit of a mess due to injuries. Hader has turned out to be the gem of this deal. He's one of the National League's best relievers having been selected to the last two All Star Games. Houser has had a decent year out of the Brewers' bullpen. Santana hit 30 home runs with the Brewers in 2017 and has a 118 OPS+ playing everyday for Seattle this season. Phillips was the considered the best prospect of this trade at the time, but he's had a disappointing big league career, and has spent all of 2019 in AAA with the Royals.
Date: August 8, 2015
Trade: Junior Garcia to Arizona for Oliver Perez
Impact: Perez had an ERA over six in 22 games with the Astros in the regular season, and allowed three-of-four to reach in the playoffs against the Royals. Garcia is a 5'11 left-handed pitcher who has reached AA with the Diamondbacks.
Date: August 1, 2016
Trade: Scott Feldman to Toronto for Guadalupe Chavez
Impact: Having lost his spot in the Astros rotation, Feldman wanted out, the Astros honored that request and saved some money in the process.
Date: August 1, 2016
Trade: Josh Field to Los Angeles Dodgers for Yordan Alvarez
Impact: Aside from thatone game, Fields pitched great for the Dodgers, compiling a 2.61 ERA in 124 games out of the bullpen. The problem is that one game was game two of the 2017 World Series when he gave up a pair of 10th inning home runs, and obviously, Alvarez appears to be a star in the making.
Date: July 31, 2017
Trade: Nori Aoki and Teoscar Hernandez to Toronto for Francisco Liriano
Impact: Liriano appeared in five postseason games in 2017, recording an out in game seven of the World Series. Hernandez had a terrific 2018 at the plate with the Blue Jays, but has fallen off this season, and struggles in the outfield. Aoki played in 12 games for Toronto before being released and signing with the Mets. He hasn't played in the Majors since 2017.
Date: August 13, 2017
Trade: Cash to Chicago White Sox for Tyler Clippard
Impact: Clippard finished with a 6.43 ERA in 16 games with the Astros, and did not appear in the playoffs.
Date: August 31, 2017
Trade: Daz Cameron, Franklin Perez, and Jake Rogers to Detroit for Justin Verlander and cash
Impact:Probably the most important the Astros have made since Jeff Bagwell for Larry Anderson. Not only did the Astros get an elite starting pitcher, they got the Tigers to send over $16 million in the process. None of the three players sent to the Tigers have appeared in the Majors, though all of them are among the Tigers top 12 prospects according to MLB Pipeline.
Date: July 26, 2018
Trade: Patrick Sandoval to Los Angeles Angels for Martin Maldonado
Impact: Maldonado became the Astros #1 catcher after the trade, though he hit just .105 in seven playoff games, and had issues behind the plate. MLB Pipeline rates Sandoval as the Angels 10th best prospect, though he has an ERA over seven with AAA Salt Lake City this season.
Date: July 27, 2018
Trade: Jorge Alcala and Gilberto Celestino to Minnesota for Ryan Pressly
Impact: An All Star this season, Pressly has turned into a force out of the Astros bullpen. He has a 1.20 ERA in 70 regular season games since the trade, while allowing one run over five innings in the playoffs. Alcala and Celestino are rated in the top 20 of the Twins farm system according to MLB Pipeline.
Date: July 30, 2018
Trade: Ken Giles, Hector Perez, and David Paulino to Toronto for Roberto Osuna
Impact: Osuna has a 2.44 ERA in 67 games with the Astros and has really stabilized the ninth inning. Giles was ok after the trade last season, but he's been absolutely dominant in 2019. He has a 1.59 ERA in 34 innings with 58 strikeouts, and is likely to be moved before this year's deadline. Paulino appeared in seven games with the Blue Jays last season, but has spent all of this season in AAA. Pitching in AA, MLB Pipeline rates Perez as the Blue Jays 12thbest prospect.
