Houston Astros
Astros get: Jose Quintana
White Sox get: Kyle Tucker, David Paulino, Teoscar Hernandez, Single A prospect
Bilek reports that Astros General Manager Jeff Lunhow has been reluctant to trade top pitching prospect Francis Martes. He writes that the Astros believe Martes could contribute in 2017, making his inclusion unlikely.
While he isn’t as coveted as Meadows, Bilek reports that if the Astros were to include Martes there’s more of a chance a deal gets done. Without him, Houston’s trade package falls a bit flat.
As for what the Astros are offering, Tucker and Paulino are two top 100 prospect whereas Hernandez is more of a glorified lottery ticket.
Tucker is the Astros second best prospect and the 50th best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. Tucker is only 19, yet he has appeared in 180 minor league games. He has hit .271 with 12 homeruns, 102 RBIs and 50 stolen bases.
Tucker is likely to need more time in the minor leagues. MLB Pipeline has his estimated time arrival in 2019. However he has a ton of potential as a hitter and base-stealer and could possibly be a 20/20 player once he reaches the MLB. He would be the team’s lead off hitter of the future while manning one of the Sox corner outfield positions for years to come.
Paulino is the Astros fourth best prospect and the 70th best prospect in baseball. He has appeared in 48 minor league games and 196.1 innings. Paulino holds a career 13-9 record with a 2.20 ERA and an incredible 219/50 K/BB ratio.
Paulino is a monster, standing 6’7″. While he has gotten Tommy John surgery, he has the potential to be a front-line MLB pitcher. He would need more time in the minors, but he could realistically be one of the best pitchers in the White Sox super-rotation of the future.
Teoscar Hernandez is the Astros eighth best prospect. The outfielder got his first taste of MLB action in 2016, hitting .230 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 41 games. In 594 games Hernandez hit .269 with 73 home runs, 299 RBIs and 151 stolen bases.
MLB Pipeline believes that Hernandez could turn into a 20 home run, 20 stolen base player in the major leagues. While he has standout speed, he will likely need to shift to right field in the major leagues. Hernandez would likely start for the White Sox in 2017 and be a prospect to watch as the year went on.
The prospect from A ball would likely be a player with upside. It would be a wild card, lottery ticket type prospect for the White Sox.
Overall, this deal will not get Quintana to the Astros. This offer is not even in the same ballpark as to what the Pirates are offering. Tucker and Paulino are great, but they’re far from sure things. Keller is going to be a top 100 prospect in 2017 whereas Hernandez won’t even come close.
If the Astros were to swap out the A ball lottery ticket for Francis Martes, then it would become a realistic offer for the White Sox. If Lunhow offered Martes, Tucker, Paulino and Hernandez, it could be too good for Hahn to pass up.
Perhaps Houston realizes how close they are in the American League. The team has arguably the best offense in all of baseball, but their pitching rotation is mainly unproven. Quintana has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the league. Adding him to the Astros gives the team an improved rotation and potentially a World Series level team.
The offer Bilek is reporting will not get it done for the Astros. But if Lunhow decided to include Martes, there’s a more than good chance that Quintana is traded to Houston.
