Houston Astros: David Paulino suspension costs team a trade chip

The Houston Astros starting pitcher David Paulino has been suspended for 80 games according to ESPN.com due to testing positive for PEDs. This not only hurts the Astros in the present, but will hurt them when they sit down at the negotiating table with other teams trying to work out a trade.

The Houston Astros have now lost their number three prospect who has made several major league starts as a bargaining chip in any deal for another starting pitcher. The team is left with little wiggle room when negotiating a package as it can’t mix and match as well as it could have prior to this suspension.

Here’s a recent example of how this affects the Astros leverage when negotiating a trade. Astros fans will recall when the team traded for Ken Giles. Initially number four prospect Derek Fisher was in the trade package going to the Philadelphia Phillies. However he was replaced with Mark Appel at the last second. If Mark Appel had been suspended, the Astros’ hand would have been forced into sending Derek Fisher over. This is the downside Paulino’s suspension carries in the trade market.

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It’s also sad from the perspective that David Paulino had overcome so much, including when the Astros acquired him in 2013 as he was about to undergo Tommy John surgery. But that’s how much the team believed in him. He had worked his way back from that injury to making his major league debut last year. But now, given his injury history combined with this suspension for the rest of the year, his trade value has been damaged greatly.

It’s hard to imagine any team wanting Paulino until 2018 when they see how he comes back after his suspension. The Astros are currently the holders of the best record in the American League, but there is still work to be done looking down the road at October. And Paulino was a potential piece of a trade offer that could have contributed to that work.

The loss is two fold as Paulino had been contributing at the major league level as well. This could lead to Joe Musgrove, Francis Martes or even Forrest Whitley being traded in Paulino’s stead depending on the level of talent we pursue.

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The impact of this suspension can affect the future of the farm system especially if Paulino doesn’t end up being able to contribute at the major league level in his career. His stock was somewhat high pre-suspension and could have headlined a deal depending on the level of star pitching power the Astros were trading for. Now the question is which prospect gets sent that the Astros didn’t plan on trading because of Paulino’s poor decision. The Astros have 27 days, and one less bargaining chip, to decide who that prospect will be.

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