Houston Astros: Team should target Adam Jones if no-trade clause waived

The Houston Astros are just one day away from the MLB non-waiver trade deadline at 3 p.m. CDT tomorrow and there’s still some nice finds that are available. The team needs to bolster their bats, especially in the outfield and Adam Jones is the answer. Here’s why.

Houston Astros fans — we’ve been in frenzy of trade happenings before. It’s to be expected as the team barrels through the Jeff Luhnow-era where we have a general manager who’s never satisfied with the product that’s out on the field. He always has the feeling that there’s always room for improvement which is something I’ve always liked out of him.

It’s certainly the slogan for the Houston Astros‘ advertising campaign dubbed with immense familiarity with the old adage “Never Settle.” It’s certainly the truth and the Houston Astros shouldn’t settle as the trade deadline comes at all of us with breakneck speed.

The Houston Astros were able to land catcher Martin Maldonado to provide badly-needed depth at the position as it will be at least another month or so before Brian McCann is ready to take the field again.

And this past Friday, the Houston Astros were able to acquire Ryan Pressly from the Minnesota Twins to complement a bullpen that certainly needs some help in winding down games.

The problem with the bullpen last season was that they were taxed, yet productive but this season is that many guys are just not getting the job done. With the exception of Joe Smith briefly about a month back, this unit has been relatively healthy.

Pressly will hopefully help with that and if the Astros can find a way to grab another reliever before the deadline, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to that. But it’s not likely.

With all of the rumors swirling around the potential whereabouts of talented outfielder Adam Jones, the Houston Astros need to throw their name into the hat. His still a solid defender in the outfield and there’s no reason that there would be decline if he were to join the team.

I haven’t seen any substantiated rumors about the guy but if the team knows what’s best for them, I’d try to pull the trigger that would not only add a hot bat to the lineup but a positional player that still can field immensely and would be ever closer to getting his first World Series title.

The Astros did it for Justin Verlander, why can’t they make Jones’ dream come true? Yes, I know Kyle Tucker, Jake Marisnick and Derek Fisher are your primary guys to complement George Springer and Josh Reddick but Jones would put that unit over the top and make them unstoppable.

Jones’ contract expires this season as he’s on the back-end of a six-year, $85.5 million deal he

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signed back in 2013. Jones earns $17 million this season but the prorated portion the Astros could potentially owe — if they’re able to get him — would be just slightly south of $8 million.

This is what makes bringing him into the fold so attractive — but as usual, the Astros will have to get in line with a long list of potential suitors with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants topping the list.

Jones does have a no-trade clause in his contract and at the moment of this writing, he hasn’t expressed any desire to waive it. But things could change over the course of a day and if he’s convinced that he could join a team that’s built to win now — like the Astros — he might change his mind.

The once baby-faced Jones is now in his early 30s and I’m sure he’s ready to notch the next echelon on his belt, a World Series championship. It’d be an interesting sales pitch that the Astros would have, not only to convince him to waive his clause but to convince the Baltimore Orioles that they have to goods to push the deal across the finish line.

I’d offer them Cionel Perez and a lower-level prospect to get pact complete because it would help replace the lefty they lost in Zach Britton to the New York Yankees. Perez is just about ready to pop out of the harvest and he’d be a great addition to the Orioles.

I absolutely love my proposal but would the Orioles? We’ll have to see as the deadline clock continues to tick. I’ll be anxiously awaiting to see if the Astros have another move in them — aside from this proposed one — before tomorrow afternoon. We’ll see.

Next. Three things to like about reliever Ryan Pressly. dark

Jones, 32, has been slashing at .285/.312/.434 along with 44 ribbies, 11 homers and 28 doubles through 429 plate appearances in 2018.

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