Astros Make Major Mistake

The Astros July 30 trade will turn out to be one of the biggest mistakes in recent memory. GM Dana Brown dealt Joey Loperfido, Jake Bloss, and Will Wagner to the Toronto Blue Jays for pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. This deal looked bad from the start and it’s only going to get worse as time goes on. The worst part of the trade for Houston was giving up Wagner (Astros #13 prospect). 

This trade is going to end up biting Dana Brown where it hurts.

Although Toronto now lists Wagner as their #19 prospect, he has already jumped over every other position player on the list and was called up to the Blue Jays on August 12. In a preview of what this guy is all about, on the first pitch he saw in the Major Leagues, he hit a solid double. On the first pitch. 

WILL WAGNER IS THE GREATEST LEFT HANDED HITTER IN THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

— Giovanni Guerrero Jr. (@JohnnyGiunta_) August 20, 2024

And he didn’t stop there. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but in his first 7 big league games as of August 20, the 26 year-old rookie is slashing .435/.458/.565, with an OPS of 1.024. In 23 AB’s, Wagner has 10 hits, 3 doubles and 4 RBI. 

 

The Blue Jays have to be smiling from ear to ear on this deal. As mentioned, Wagner (the son of former big league closer Billy Wagner) is just one of 3 prospects they received. Bloss, a 23 year-old RHP now their #3 prospect, has not yet pitched for the Blue Jays, and was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Loperfido, 25, and an early Houston fan favorite, is not faring as well in Toronto, hitting just .192 in his first 15 games.

 

As for the Astros, they received the 33 year-old Kikuchi, a 6-year MLB veteran. As of this writing, the left-hander stands at a 38-46 won/loss record, with a 4.65 ERA, 1.367 WHIP in 160 games, and 772 innings pitched. The numbers do not suggest a value of 3 promising prospects. The worst part of this is that Kikuchi is a rental – he becomes a free agent after the 2024 season. That is a net loss of 3 young prospects for a guy who will likely walk after the season.

 

Time will tell how this trade pans out, but for right now, it sure looks like the Astros were fleeced. 

 

Will Wagner can’t stop hitting!

Entering tonight’s game he was sporting a stellar .474 AVG and 1.132 OPS through his first 6 games in the big leagues 🤯

Now he tacks on another RBI base knock!

Not a bad way to start your major league career!

pic.twitter.com/fJSLQkqB0H

— Just Fantasy Baseball (@JustFantasyBB) August 20, 2024

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Larry Manch is an author, teacher, guitar player, freelance writer, and columnist. He has written 24 books; available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com.

 

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