The Player DD Should Trade For That Can Put Us in The WS in 2015

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There is a player DD should go all out to obtain for the Orioles who would become a fan favorite and change our lineup. I've written about him in the past and suggested a trade for him before. Now it's time to go all out and get him. Are you listening DD? Who is this player? Jose Altuve - 2B for the Astros. He has a great contract that favors whoever is paying him.

Read the article below to learn more about him and why he would be perfect as our leadoff hitter and 2B.

http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2014/9/15/6148377/jose-altuve-deserves-a-raise-why-the-second-baseman-is-underpaid

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/8996/

[Barnaby Graves]

How many times do we have to listen to the foolhardy "all out for X" spiel before someone figures out it's never one guy, one TOR starter, one MOO bat, one closer, that a 25-man roster is actually composed of 25 people, and if the other 24 guys are just cleverly-arranged gumdrops with toothpicks, they're not a team, they're not qualified, that sacrificing depth for one guy is an awful idea, basically if you want to put it all on black you're in the wrong business. Been listening to this forever, it's still wrong. It will continue to be wrong.

[AlbionHero]

Jose Altuve would take pretty much Bundy, Harvey and Cisco. Great player, but his long low cost salary and how much of an impact player he is would make him impossible to get.

[Morgan423]

Not that I would hate to have Altuve, but I can't even imagine what we'd have to give up to get him.

[Loophole]

Why would the Astros trade a young All-Star player with a great contract? They certainly shouldn't see themselves as being THAT far from contending. He isn't some hidden treasure. Everyone knows about him. He's an extremely valuable young player, and it'd take more than we have (yes, including a Bundy/Harvey/Cisco package) to get him. It'd have to be built around Gausman at the very least.

[Aristotelian]

He's signed through 2017 with options for 2018 and 2019. Going "all out" would likely require Schoop and Gausman for starters. Maybe Machado and Gausman. Altuve is a great hitter (OK defender) on a reasonable contract. That is what makes him practically untradeable. Not going to happen.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

He's signed through 2017 with options for 2018 and 2019. Going "all out" would likely require Schoop and Gausman for starters. Maybe Machado and Gausman. Altuve is a great hitter (OK defender) on a reasonable contract. That is what makes him practically untradeable. Not going to happen.

Pretty much- the package would probably have to start with Schoop and Gausman, and it would need to include several other legitimate prospects.

Our farm system is getting better, and my faith in its ability to produce quality Major League players on a semi-regular basis has been restored, but we're still a long ways off from being able to pry premier players still firmly entrenched in their prime years away from other teams without severely diminishing our ability to remain competitive as our current players leave/decline over the next 3-5 years or so.

A barren farm system(which would almost certainly be the end result of trading for a guy of Altuve's caliber/stature) is generally a pretty accurate barometer of a franchise's forecast in the not-so-distant future(IOW: *shake shake* "Outlook Not So Good").

Unless you're the Yankees or Dodgers, of course.

[weams]

How many times do we have to listen to the foolhardy "all out for X" spiel before someone figures out it's never one guy, one TOR starter, one MOO bat, one closer, that a 25-man roster is actually composed of 25 people, and if the other 24 guys are just cleverly-arranged gumdrops with toothpicks, they're not a team, they're not qualified, that sacrificing depth for one guy is an awful idea, basically if you want to put it all on black you're in the wrong business. Been listening to this forever, it's still wrong. It will continue to be wrong.

It's always been wrong.

[Snutchy]

If it were one player, Houston would be in the World Series.

I like Altuve. Actually, I REALLY like Altuve, but it just isn't happening. He's too good for them to part with right now. In order for their trade demands to be even somewhat realistic, he needs to have a down year or two.

[Can_of_corn]

Now 2014 was his age 24 season so maybe what we saw was the new normal and not an outlier but... He put up more rWAR in 2014 (6.0) then he did his first three seasons combined (3.3).

I wouldn't be willing to literally bet the farm that he doesn't settle in as a 2.5-3 WAR player.

[VeveJones007]

How many times do we have to listen to the foolhardy "all out for X" spiel before someone figures out it's never one guy, one TOR starter, one MOO bat, one closer, that a 25-man roster is actually composed of 25 people, and if the other 24 guys are just cleverly-arranged gumdrops with toothpicks, they're not a team, they're not qualified, that sacrificing depth for one guy is an awful idea, basically if you want to put it all on black you're in the wrong business. Been listening to this forever, it's still wrong. It will continue to be wrong.

Well said. It's baseball. The variance in a player's performance in one start or 20 ABs is huge. You could go all in for Altuve and he goes 2-25 in the ALCS. Need balance.

[weams]

Well said. It's baseball. The variance in a player's performance in one start or 20 ABs is huge. You could go all in for Altuve and he goes 2-25 in the ALCS. Need balance.

Or get a stye eye. Or ingrown town nail. Or a throw to second could be 3 inches outside the leap and grasp of a 5 foot five inch second baseman.

[weams]

The second base defense defense would go from a foot taller and 70 lb heavier linebacker to someone who leaps out of the way.

[sportsfan8703]

Dumb. If you want that type of player why not just use open spots in the OF for it? Aoki 17 SB, Melky, Tomas.

High OBP trade targets:

Van Slyke OF LAD

Jay OF STL

Fowler Hou 11SB

Saunders SEA

[weams]

Dumb. If you want that type of player why not just use open spots in the OF for it? Aoki 17 SB, Melky, Tomas.

High OBP trade targets:

Van Slyke OF LAD

Jay OF STL

Fowler Hou 11SB

Saunders SEA

TBR 43 29.3 3.78 162 6205 5516 612 1361 263 24 117 586 63 27 527 1124 .247 .317 .367 .684 96 2023 135 66 43 53 31 1193

BOS 55 29.2 3.91 162 6226 5551 634 1355 282 20 123 601 63 25 535 1337 .244 .316 .369 .684 92 2046 138 68 20 52 36 1168

KCR 48 28.2 4.02 162 6058 5545 651 1456 286 29 95 604 153 36 380 985 .263 .314 .376 .690 91 2085 131 53 33 47 22 1080

TEX 64 28.4 3.93 162 6026 5460 637 1400 260 28 111 597 105 59 417 1162 .256 .314 .375 .689 94 2049 148 61 41 45 37 1066

LgAvg 44 28.5 4.07 162 6131 5520 659 1387 271 28 140 625 92 35 467 1248 .251 .314 .386 .700 97 2133 120 55 45 43 33 1111

BAL 44 28.3 4.35 162 6130 5596 705 1434 264 16 211 681 44 20 401 1285 .256 .311 .422 .734 106 2363 112 62 35 36 29 1088

MIL 40 28.8 4.01 162 6065 5462 650 1366 297 28 150 617 102 43 423 1197 .250 .311 .397 .708 96 2169 135 73 70 37 32 1049

SFG 46 28.6 4.10 162 6087 5523 665 1407 257 42 132 636 56 27 427 1245 .255 .311 .388 .699 99 2144 113 43 45 49 37 1095

CHW 44 27.7 4.07 162 6077 5543 660 1400 279 32 155 625 85 36 417 1362 .253 .310 .398 .708 100 2208 127 60 19 38 33 1071

HOU 48 25.7 3.88 162 6055 5447 629 1317 240 19 163 596 122 37 495 1442 .242 .309 .383 .692 95 2084 122 55 22 36 27 1086

NYM 45 28.4 3.88 162 6145 5472 629 1306 275 19 125 602 101 34 516 1264 .239 .308 .364 .673 93 1994 112 54 59 44 42 1123

NYY 58 32.6 3.91 162 6082 5497 633 1349 247 26 147 591 112 26 452 1133 .245 .307 .364 .673 93 1994 112 54 59 44 42 1123

On Base Percentage