Houston Astros Trade Rumors: Make A Play For Danny Duffy?

The Houston Astros haven’t made a splash this off season, they’ve created a wave!

Who am I talking about?

I’m talking about the signings of Charlie Morton, Brian McCann, Nori Aoki and last but not least Josh Reddick.

Yes, the World Series is over and the Houston Astros are hot to trot in light of hopefully an eventful off season in terms of improving this baseball team.

As I watched the Chicago Cubs secure their first championship in 108 years, I thought to myself as far as when it’d be OUR turn.

I know it’s coming but will it be soon?

That remains to be seen.

But, at the moment, the Astros are extremely committed to trot out a winner this upcoming season.

The Astros transitioned through the Winter Meetings last week with a lot of talk but no action.

They continued to flirt with the Chicago White Sox about Jose Quintana but I’m sure they tried to back the Astros in a corner by indicating that Alex Bregman would have to be part of a potential deal.

Of course, the Astros declined.

It would be foolish to trade Bregs at this time because his better days of baseball are just getting started and we’d regret that deal for years to come.

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Plus, it would leave a significant hole at third base that would costly to replace just based off his projected production at the position.

But anyway — the Astros are still dead-set on adding to its pitching staff and it’s possible — although unlikely — they get a deal done before the end of 2016.

But here’s the latest.

According to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, the Astros are targeting the solid pitching of Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura with the Kansas City Royals.

It’s no secret that the current pitching rotation of Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers Jr., Collin McHugh, Mike Fiers and Charlie Morton is one that will likely be projected lineup of 2017 but it’s less than flattering as a unit.

The team knows they can do better and they can Duffy and Ventura are two young arms that this team can use to improve their performance on the bump.

Who would we dangle for those guys?

According to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors, McHugh and Fiers would certainly be chips on the block to include in a deal for any of the two aforementioned pitchers.

And you know what?

I’d include them in a deal in a heartbeat.

But a deal certainly can’t be done with just those guys — the Royals are going to want more in the terms of prospects.

The Astros have a healthy farm that has been modestly harvested to shape the current roster that we see today.

Would Brady Rodgers, Jandel Gustave, David Paulino, Kyle Tucker, Derek Fisher, Daz Cameron or Colin Moran do the trick to add to the deal?

I’m positive any of those available names would be enough to move the needle in a salivating swap to be made.

Here’s what I think.

Although it would be incredible to have Ventura in our war-chest, I think the Astros have a strong shot to land Danny Duffy.

He has one year of control left for this season before heading into free agency — he’d likely be a rental — and he’d make an impact to our lineup immediately.

These are the types of deals that Jeff Luhnow loves to make — maximum fructification over a short amount of time.

So how much would he cost?

His projected arbitration salary will be around $8.2 million for 2017, a small price to pay for the production that we’d get out of him.

If he has an outstanding year, that’s when the Astros’ brass would make a strong run to bring him back for a longer deal.

In addition that, he’s left-handed which would nothing but a boon to the solid arms we already have.

Next: A Post Winter Meetings Look At The 25-Man Roster

He’s got a nice fastball, slider and change-up package that would make us all wonder why not to make a trade for him.

Duffy posted a 3.51 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 4.48 K/BB rate over 179.2 innings in 42 games (26 starts) in 2016.

He also had a pedestrian 3.83 FIP and a good 1.141 WHIP as well.

So how about it Astros?

I think we need one more solid pitcher to make this rotation whole and Duffy IS the answer.

Can we pry him away from the Royals?

We’ll have to see about that.

Until then — go Houston Astros!

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