RADIO
When the Houston Astros acquired Evan Gattis in a trade with the Atlanta Braves only a few days ago, it was immediately rumored that Dexter Fowler was on his way out. As it turns out, that would exactly be the case, as Houston unloaded the speedy outfielder this morning to their former NL Central rival in Chicago for starting pitcher Dan Straily and versatile infielder Luis Valbuena.
On the surface, this is a deal that helps out both clubs considerably. For the Cubs, who are expected to be contenders for the first time in almost a decade, they’re getting a proven and reliable outfielder, which is necessary considering how much youth they’re potentially counting on for the upcoming campaign. Outfielders Jorge Soler and Arismendy Alcantara are two of those aforementioned youngsters, so if one happens to falter, Fowler is a nice player to be able to plug in, given his speed and ability to get on base. While his power numbers dipped in ’14, which could have been due to injury, he did manage to register the second-highest batting average (.276) and on-base percentage (.375) of his seven-year career.
On the Houston side of things, not only do they clear a bit of a logjam in their formerly crowded outfield, enabling emerging youngster George Springer to shift to centerfield, but they also get notable pieces in return that could help them produce their first winning season since 2008.
Straily is a guy that has actually exhibited upper-rotation potential since arriving on the scene with Oakland three years ago. His lone full slate came in 2013, when he went a respectable 10-8 in 27 starts with a 3.96 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and .233 BAA. However, Straily couldn't maintain that this past year, as he struggled a bit before being dealt to the Cubs, where, after one uninspiring mid-August start, he was relegated to the bullpen and ended up with lousy numbers as a result. Returning to the AL West and getting a chance to start again could allow Straily, who does have an 11-strikeout performance under his belt, to thrive again.
Valbuena, meanwhile, has proven to be more than serviceable since being given ample playing time in his tenure with the Cubs. Last year, he actually played in 149 games, starting the majority of them at the hot corner, and compiled a .249/.341/.435 slash line, along with career-highs of 16 HR and 51 RBI, but is expected to serve in a bench-utility role for the Astros. However, if current starting third baseman Matt Dominguez is unable to progress in the right direction after taking a step backwards in 2014, the job could go to Valbuena.
Furthermore, the exit of Valbuena from Chicago also leaves a very intriguing opening at third base. It is expected that for the first few weeks of the upcoming year -- if even that much -- the position will be manned by Mike Olt, who strictly offers power and a lot of strikeouts, but he’ll only be keeping that spot warm until the arrival of potential mega star Kris Bryant. The 2014 Minor League Player of the Year will be making his major league debut at some point in 2015 in what is sure to be one of baseball’s top storylines throughout the campaign.
