Astros acquire Huff

[Geech]

Can Ensberg play the OF at all? This might be a good time to try and get him from the Astros.

[Brian]

What the hell? I thought Huff was going to command more than two double-A players. :x

 

Maybe at the deadline last year or even over last offseason, but right now he's just a 2 1/2 month rental. We got Nomar for a AAA, a AAA/MLB reliever and a A level pitcher with injury concerns, and Nomar, while having injury concerns of his own, is way more valuable than Huff.

 

There is no reason to get upset that the Cubs didn't try to trade for Huff. No matter what happens he's going to be a FA at the end of the year... and they Cubs could do a whole lot better than Huff anyways.

[Shavo]

Stupid stuuuupid trade.

 

For who?

 

The Astros. There going to cut into their second best hitters playing time for a streaky Huff and in the process traded away two solid prospects for a rental.

[Jehrico]

Can Ensberg play the OF at all? This might be a good time to try and get him from the Astros.

Pick him up, then package Howry, ARam, and TWalk (or some comparable package) to the Yanks for ARod.

[texascub]

Can Ensberg play the OF at all? This might be a good time to try and get him from the Astros.

Pick him up, then package Howry, ARam, and TWalk (or some comparable package) to the Yanks for ARod.

 

I don't think the Yankees would go for it; that gives them two 3B (Ensberg might be able to play in OF but I don't think he ever has which makes it a rather hard sell) and Cano should be back soon. I would mind getting ARod, from the Yankees end it doesn't seem like they're getting much. I also wonder what it'd take to get Ensberg from the 'Stros?

[beowulf28]

Can Ensberg play the OF at all? This might be a good time to try and get him from the Astros.

Pick him up, then package Howry, ARam, and TWalk (or some comparable package) to the Yanks for ARod.

 

I don't think the Yankees would go for it; that gives them two 3B (Ensberg might be able to play in OF but I don't think he ever has which makes it a rather hard sell) and Cano should be back soon. I would mind getting ARod, from the Yankees end it doesn't seem like they're getting much. I also wonder what it'd take to get Ensberg from the 'Stros?

 

Ensberg has a .390 OBP. I wish there was a way to pick him up. What would we do with ARam? What would it take to get ARod from the Yankees?

[Geech]

I don't think the Yankees would go for it; that gives them two 3B (Ensberg might be able to play in OF but I don't think he ever has which makes it a rather hard sell) and Cano should be back soon. I would mind getting ARod, from the Yankees end it doesn't seem like they're getting much. I also wonder what it'd take to get Ensberg from the 'Stros?

 

I think Jehrico was talking about keeping Ensberg with the Cobs and then sending the others for ARod.

 

I don't know what it would take to get Ensberg, but considering that he's losing playing time to Huff's craptacular line, perhaps not much. My only concern with Ensberg, now that I think about it, is his extreme home/road splits. He's a lot less useful outside of Minute Maid Park.

[Andy]

Now's as good a time as any to get Ensberg, but Hendry will take one look at his BA and hang up on Purpura.

 

Which is absurd.

[abuck1220]

Obviously it will cut into [Ensberg's] playing time, we're in a position where we have to start moving forward. We can't give bats to players because they have been in that spot before. We have to get production and performance out of our players."

 

maybe the dumbest thing i've ever heard a guy whose job it is to evaluate baseball talent say. that's scary.

[Brian]

maybe the dumbest thing i've ever heard a guy whose job it is to evaluate baseball talent say. that's scary.

 

"I've decided that I like guys that can catch the ball"

[OBPMatters]

Ensberg is a product of MM Park.

[ChiCubsFan]

Stupid stuuuupid trade.

 

For who?

 

The Astros. There going to cut into their second best hitters playing time for a streaky Huff and in the process traded away two solid prospects for a rental.

 

So Huff is streaky but Ensberg hasn't been? He posted an insane April followed by a poor May and a horrible June (.588 OPS). He has a .685 OPS in the past month. I'm not denying that Huff is streaky, because he's about as streaky as they come, but I wouldn't hold that against him.

 

Ensberg isn't the player everyone is making him up to be. If it weren't for that amazing first month, his overall season stats would be horrible. I realize it doesn't make sense to just take a month of a player's statistics out, but I'm just saying he has been pretty brutal at the plate over the past 2 and a half months. It's also important to note that he has a sub .800 OPS (.764) and only a .337 OBP on the road over his career. The guy can mash in MMP, but who can't. I think relying on Ensberg and Lamb (who has been garbage over most of his career) would be stupid. Huff is going to help that team out a lot, and I don't think taking ABs away from Mike Lamb, Preston Wilson, and a cooled off Morgan Ensberg is really a big deal. The NL is horrible and Houston has as good a shot as any to make it to the playoffs.

 

As for the prospects, I agree that they are solid, but I don't think its overpaying. Neither were on their top 10 list according to BA prior to the season. I think it was a good trade for both teams. It gives Houston a much better shot at the playoffs and they got to keep their top prospects (Hirsh, Patton, Pence).