Houston Astros: The Trade Deadline 2018 Report Card
3. Roberto Osuna: C-
Ken Giles has been sent north of the border. He was becoming a head case, and the team needed a closer. Regardless, getting Roberto Osuna brings a lot of various pros and cons with him.
Let’s begin with the biggest con: His excess baggage. Osuna is currently under league suspension pending an investigation into claims of domestic violence. It’s incredibly troubling and is causing riffs among the fan base.
Sure, this elephant in the room is quite suffocating. But as one of our editors, Brian Patterson, pointed out in his latest piece, Osuna still has some really solid pitching that will be abundantly helpful for another run at a world title. Do skills beget character? Not really, but that’s a topic for another day.
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In the meantime, Osuna does offer a current ERA below 3 and a WHIP just over 1. Admittedly, it is an upgrade over Giles, though he was crucial in last year’s title run. Osuna is a very good pitcher that has been solid for the Blue Jays for a few years.
If this decision was just about baseball, it could easily be the move of the deadline but, there is more to it than that. Both players carry some sort of baggage with them, but Osuna has been given the second chance that everyone gets at some point in their lives.