Trade front still quiet — for now
Last July, James Click struck early and often. He acquired four relievers in three trades spread across three separate days. Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero arrived from Seattle three days before the July 30 deadline. A day later, Click added Yimi Garcia from Miami. On deadline day, he shipped center fielder
Myles Straw to Cleveland in exchange for Phil Maton.
One year later, Click arrived at Minute Maid Park on Sunday without a deal and with only two days to find a trade partner. He is far from alone.
Aside from the Seattle Mariners’ Friday night blockbuster for righthander Luis Castillo, the trade market is moving at a snail’s pace prior to Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline. The MLB draft during All-Star week slowed some traction, but Click pointed out the calendar had a similar setup last season.
Click contended the expanded postseason continues to slow the pace of trades leading into the deadline, a stretch when the Astros are expected to be aggressive but have yet to consummate any deals.
“It is slower, but we had that draft problem last year,” Click said on the team’s pregame radio show Sunday. “I think the main thing this year is the extra playoff spots have changed the market dynamics. We’re still hopeful. We’re still trying to get something done. But there are fewer teams that are aggressively selling, and that makes it a little bit of a seller’s market. We’re not selling, so that makes it tough on us.”
Though Click did not acknowledge it on the team’s radio show, Houston’s needs are apparent: a backup catcher to spell Martín Maldonado,
another bat to lengthen a top-heavy lineup and, perhaps, another reliever for the bullpen.
Addressing subpar production in center field and first base would seem the most urgent directives for a team that, after Sunday’s extra-inning win over Seattle, is 31 games above .500 and 12 games ahead of the second-place Mariners in the American League West.
“Our level of optimism is not what I’m concerned about. What I’m concerned about is our aggressiveness and our willingness to go out there and stretch and do a deal. That is something we can control, and that is something that we’re focused on,” Click said.
“Our team has done a great job of putting themselves in a very, very enviable spot in the standings. These chances do not come along as frequently as they have for this organization over the past six years. This is rare in this game. We feel a tremendous responsibility to be as aggressive as possible about going out there and getting something done.”
Meyers’ struggles at plate continue
Perhaps it was coincidence or just a matchup decision, but however it arrived, Dusty Baker gave Jake Meyers the day off Friday and Saturday. He returned after the two-day respite Sunday and still seemed totally lost.
Meyers struck out three more times Sunday, furthering a miserable month that has to have Click and his lieutenants questioning how long Meyers can remain an everyday option. Further, it must invite wonder whether they can afford to part with Chas McCormick or Jose Siri in a trade.
Meyers is 5 for his past 46. Twenty-one of the 46 at-bats have ended in strikeout. He is hitting .216 with a .597 OPS in 97 at-bats since returning from the injured list.
Teams have a clear plan to elevate four-seam fastballs, and Meyers cannot lay off of them. Two of his three strikeouts Sunday came against high fourseamers.
The Astros did not anticipate Meyers being an offensive force upon his return. He is a defense-first player with speed the team feels can be game-changing. It’s hard to showcase it with a .267 on-base percentage.
More alarming than anything since Meyers’ return is his throwing arm. The A’s ran at will against him last week and took extra bases. The Mariners tried during the weekend series, too. Click acknowledged the problem Sunday morning and said coach Jason Kanzler is working with Meyers to correct it.
“Jake is medically 100 percent, but sometimes there could be a mental side of it where you just have to get comfortable with the idea of letting it go,” Click said.
“It is something that we’re aware of and we’re going to work on, but at the same time, I don’t want to lose sight of how good of an outfielder he is in terms of running balls down. He’s made some catches that, quite frankly, I don’t think could have been made this season. We have to take the whole player into account.”
Click will as he navigates the market. If Click does not acquire one and instead settles for someone more comfortable in a corner, one wonders whether the team might experiment with Kyle
Tucker in center.
Valdez, León fuel Space Cowboys
Enmanuel Valdez and Pedro León homered as Sugar Land won 5-4 at Oklahoma City on Sunday.