OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JULY 25: Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros bats against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the six inning at RingCentral Coliseum on July 25, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Trade Proposal Sends Vladimir Guerrero Jr. To Surprising Team in 3-Player Swap.
The Houston Astros have been one of MLB’s biggest disappointments to start the 2024 season. Their 12-23 record before games began on May 8 has them in last place in the American League West. But could they turn things around and become trade-deadline buyers? And would they make a run at Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?
Jim Bowden of The Athletic would like to see it happen. He proposed the following hypothetical trade between Houston and Toronto in a May 6 article:
Astros receive: first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Blue Jays receive: first baseman/outfielder Joey Loperfido and outfielder Kenedy Corona
“Guerrero will be a free agent after the 2025 season and the Blue Jays have yet to sign him to a long-term deal. They’d get a much better return in a trade now than they would in the offseason or in the
leadup to next year’s trade deadline; therefore, they’ll need to seriously consider dealing him this July if they fall out of the race,” Bowden said. “Guerrero is still only 25 years old and just entering his prime years. Could you imagine him hitting between Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker over the next two seasons (at least)?”
According to MLB.com, Loperfido (sixth) and Corona (12th) are top 15 prospects in the Astros’ system. Loperfido recently made his MLB debut for Houston and Corona is currently in Double-A.
How Would Guerrero-to-Houston Actually Work?
At first glance, Houston going after Guerrero might not make much sense. After all, the Astros have first baseman Jose Abreu under contract through the end of 2025. However, his production has been nonexistent amid the club’s awful start.
His first 77 plate appearances of 2024 have led to a .059/.156/.113 triple slash. It includes just one extra-base hit (a double), a -20 wRC+ and -1.2 fWAR. Abreu’s first year in Houston wasn’t terrific, either. His counting stats looked decent (18 home runs, 90 RBI and 62 runs scored), but it was still accompanied by a .237/.296/.383 line, a 86 wRC+ and -0.5 fWAR.
