Luhnow & Co. to lay groundwork for 2017 at GM meetings
Confluence provides club a chance to solicit trades, meet with agents
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Astros’ offseason began in earnest last week with the team’s waiver claim of outfielder Nori Aoki and the trade of reliever Pat Neshek.
This week, much of the groundwork for the rest of the winter will be set. General manager Jeff Luhnow will arrive Monday in Arizona for the start of baseball’s GM meetings, an annual confluence of the top decision-makers for all 30 teams.
The Astros’ brain trust — assistant GM Mike Elias and director of baseball operations Brandon Taubman will accompany Luhnow — will use the next few days to follow up with teams about potential trades and meet with agents who represent players on the open market.
Free agents can sign with teams beginning at 11:01 p.m. Monday. These meetings wrap up Thursday, with Tuesday and Wednesday the busiest days for the executives.
“It will be a productive couple of days out in Phoenix, and we’ll also get to stop in and see our (Arizona) Fall League guys,” Luhnow said.
The week will get the ball rolling on a pivotal offseason for the Astros, who underachieved last season in finishing third in the American League West and five wins worse than both
AL wild-card game participants.
Luhnow is tasked with upgrading a roster brimming with young positionplayer talent but lacking in starting pitching, the outfield and at catcher. With a free-agent class devoid of frontline rotation arms, improvements will require not only creativity but a willingness to part with top prospects in a trade.
Notable move possible
The blockbuster deals and marquee signings are typically reserved for later in the offseason — the Hot Stove tends to heat up around the winter meetings in early December — but there’s usually at least one notable move early. Last year, it was the Los Angeles Angels acquiring shortstop Andrelton Simmons from the Atlanta Braves just after the conclusion of the GM meetings.
It’s common that moves consummated later in the offseason trace to conversations at the GM meetings. For example, even though the Astros last year didn’t sign Doug Fister until January, they expressed their initial interest to the pitcher’s agent this week a year ago.
“Most of the deals we’ve done, one of those conversations takes place at the GM meetings,” Luhnow said.
Luhnow spoke late last week of having “a wideopen canvas in front of us” in regard to the many avenues the Astros could take this offseason to try to improve.
Whether they enter the sweepstakes for marquee, high-priced free agents such as outfielder Yoenis Cespedes or catchers Matt Wieters and Wilson Ramos remains to be seen.
3 free-agent OFs to watch
• Dexter Fowler —He re-enters the free-agent market fresh off leading off an epic World Series Game 7 with a home run. The switch-hitting center fielder is due for a big payday a year after re-signing early last spring training with the Chicago Cubs.
Fowler on paper would be a great fit for the Astros, who face uncertainty in center field and lack both a natural leadoff man and lefthanded presence in their lineup. It’s unknown how Fowler, 31 in March, would feel about returning to the team that traded him just two offseasons ago. He should have his share of suitors.
Like last offseason, Fowler is expected to again because of the qualifying offer have draft-pick compensation attached to his price tag, which is another consideration for teams. (The Astros are slated to pick 16th in June’s draft.)
• Josh Reddick — This lefthanded bat and former Gold Glove Award winner appears a close-to-ideal fit for the Astros, who are believed to have interest in the former Red Sox, Athletics and Dodgers outfielder.
Reddick batted .281 with a .749 OPS in 115 games last season despite struggling after the trade-deadline deal that sent him and lefthander Rich Hill from Oakland to Los Angeles. He slashed a brutal .155/.212/.155 against lefthanders, much worse than his career percentages of .218/.280/.360.
The 12.8 percent walk rate Reddick posted last year was better than all Astros hitters not named Luis Valbuena, who is also a free agent. Reddick, who will play next season at age 30, could patrol right field and allow the Astros to shift George Springer to center.
• Michael Saunders — He also would qualify as the lefthanded bat the Astros need, but his second-half drop-off to an All-Star campaign in 2016 might be cause for concern. He would also add strikeouts to a lineup that had the second-most in the American League last season.
But Saunders, 29, would mark an upgrade in left field over the departing Colby Rasmus. Saunders batted .253 with a career-high 24 home runs and an .815 OPS last season for the Toronto Blue Jays.