Where Are They Now? Houston Astros Trades Part 2; 2012

Lance Berkman 9Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports)

At the risk of heading to the Disabled List with some sort of elbow pain, soreness, inflammation, etc., I’m expeditioning on a three part series about players that (mostly) beloved Houston Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow has traded since taking the position in the Astros front office in December of 2011.

Two weeks ago I ventured into the deals from 2011 and highlighted the big names and just what exactly they’re up to now. That post featured the two biggest names to be shipped in the three years and counting rebuilding process by the Houston Astros under Jeff Luhnow’s reign. Here is part two!

With 2011 covered, today we look at 2012 and what became of some of the pieces the Astros sent away in the continuous effort to bring some stability and depth to the organization.

Lance Berkman – Lance Berkman was actually traded in 2010, but I saved him for this post because the Astros didn’t really get much for the 34-year old veteran… until Luhnow made it worth something fantastic in 2012.

Berkman’s trade value had gone way down over the first half of the 2010 campaign, and his $14.5 million dollar salary didn’t help. What did help was that it was essentially expiring after six years for $85 million. The Yankees would use their $2 million dollar buyout on Berkman the next off-season. Because he gave the Bronx Bombers absolutely nothing and was washed up…riiiiiiiiiiiight?!

The Astros also included cash considerations to the Yankees (who really needed it!) just so the ‘Stros could net a return for the switch-hitting role player who, as I said, was hardly worth much in the trade market. The team received AAA reliever Mark Melancon and Single-A infielder Jimmy Paredes. Both would join the big league club very soon.

Acquired on July 31, Melancon was up to Houston in no time. No time being just over a week — on August 10, 2010. Paredes was part of the “three-headed call-up” on July 19, 2011 when he accompanied J.D. Martinez and Jose Altuve.

As for Berkman, he struggled with a left knee injury and batted a career-worst .248 with 14 homers and 58 RBIs between Houston and NYY in 2010. In 2011 he found a new home and was rejuvenated and also won his first World Series title with the St. Louis Cardinals. He returned to St. Louis the next season, but after a magical year where he managed to play 126 games in the outfield, he was again plagued by the injury and getting old bugs in 2012.

In 2013 at 37 years old, the Texas Rangers sought out his bat and his wisdom, receiving neither for $10 million dollars. He retired after the season.

Lance Berkman—>Mark Melancon

After the 2011 season Mark Melancon had posted a 10-4 record with a 2.85 ERA with the Astros in a little over a season, also picking up 20 saves in a de facto closer’s role. Jimmy Paredes was decent…

The Boston Red Sox were in a relief pitcher mood, acquiring Andrew Bailey from the Oakland A’s for Josh Reddick and obtaining Melancon from Houston for shortstop Jed Lowrie and minor league pitcher Kyle Weiland.

Lance Berkman—>Mark Melancon—>Jed Lowrie

Jed Lowrie (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Jed Lowrie instantly became a favorite of mine. I had always liked him as a player, and hoped he could stay healthy. Coming to Houston he received a shot in the arm AKA consistent playing time and his numbers took off. Unfortunately he got hurt again, but was on his way to an All-Star season in 2012, just to be hindered and eventually DL’d.

After the 2012 season Jed Lowrie was deemed healthy enough by the medical staff in Oakland to acquire a much needed bat-first but more than capable fielder to man shortstop with Stephen Drew‘s half a season rental turning out to be… well, a rental.

Lowrie was dealt in what has potential to be one of the greatest trades in Jeff Luhnow’s tenure when it’s all said and done — all things considered. For all the things being considered, see the “—>’s” above and what became of Melancon/Paredes for Berkman.

The Astros acquired former top prospect Chris Carter, along with current high-ranking prospects Brad Peacock and Max Stassi. A power hitter, a potential-packed pitcher nearly big league ready and a long-term catcher option that everyone was excited about. I wrote about the deal and all my excitement here.

As for Lowrie, he would give and is still giving Oakland a terrific and versatile infield presence and lineup presence, which sucks because it’s Oakland, but is great because it’s Jed.

Photo Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Lee – Like Berkman, Carlos “El Caballo” Lee was tradable in very large part to his monster contract reaching its expiration after the season. Like Berkman, Lee had a no trade clause. Unlike Berkman, he didn’t waive it… initially.

After the Los Angeles Dodgers became mega(bega?)billionaires following the sale to Magic Johnson and friends, the Dodgers were willing to pay, pay, pay to fill as many roster holes as possible. At the time, first base was a hole and they traded for Carlos Lee in June of 2012. El Caballo’s six-year $100 million dollar contract was expiring and the Dodgers wanted the final months of his production that he would surely play hard for. Riiiiiiiiiight?

Starting pitcher Garrett Gould was scratched from his A-ball start on June 29, 2012. Among 14 teams in Lee’s NTC were the Dodgers, and despite the allure of L.A. and, you know, winning baseball, Carlos Lee wasn’t very interested and the Dodgers pulled out of trade talks on July 1.

A market remained for Carlos Lee, and the Miami Marlins were looking for a boost to a club full of new multi-million free agent signees like Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell. There was mutual interest and the Fish weren’t on Lee’s NTC list, so on July 4 –three days after negotiations with the Dodgers broke down– a Marlin he became.

The Astros acquired pitcher Rob Rasmussen but the real catch was third baseman Matt Dominguez, who had fallen out of favor with the impatient developmental staff in Miami. Ranked as the organization’s fourth best prospect before the previous season (2011), the club shipped him off to Houston where he soon took over everyday at third base and has been there ever since.

“El Caballo” unfortunately played as the 2012 Marlins did: Uninspired. He slashed an ugly .243/.328/.325 with just four home runs in 81 games and became a Free Agent the season after. Still unsigned on June 21, 2013 — his 37th birthday — Carlos Lee announced his retirement after 14 big league seasons.

Wandy Rodriguez (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Wandy Rodriguez – Wandy Rodriguez won’t be remembered as a “Great” Astro, but he had an impact on the franchise in his eight seasons, going 80-84 with a 4.04 ERA. However, at the 2012 trade deadline, it was evident that the 33-year old veteran’s trade value wasn’t as high as his career numbers. The southpaw was traded to the contending Pittsburgh Pirates for three minor leaguers. Rudy Owens and Robbie Grossman have had some fingerprints on the 2014 Astros, Grossman some more on the 2013 club and Colton Cain, 23, currently resides in AA Corpus Christi.

Wandy Rodriguez was a helpful part of the Pirates makeshift rotations in the second half of 2012 as well as 2013, but a forearm injury limited him to 12 games in 2013, actually one less than his 13 appearances in 2012. He also had a pretty lousy contract and neither the Astros or Pirates were/are/is/ big spenders. The Astros covered $1.7 million of his deal in 2012 and $8.5 million in 2013.

His career continued to plunge downward as he began 2014 on the DL with knee inflammation and after a very rough start to the year, Pittsburgh swallowed the $7.5 million dollars — the price Houston would have paid had he finished the final year of his contract, instead they paid $5.5 million — and designated Wandy for assignment. His $13 million salary for 2014 was the highest on the Pirates roster.

Rodriguez will more than likely clear waivers and be available to any team for a minimum salary.

J.A. Happ (Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)

J.A. Happ –  One of the more perplexing trades, no need to go too detailed into the 10-player transaction with the Toronto Blue Jays. Along with Happ, Luhnow dealt relievers Brandon Lyon and David Carpenter for Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco (later flipped to Tampa Bay) and five prospects. The most notable of the prospects being pitchers Asher Wojciechowski, Joe Musgrove and potentially potential-packed catcher Carlos Perez.

Dallas Keuchel took Happ’s rotation spot.

Brandon Lyon would move on to the New York Mets for 2013, the Boston Red Sox  for a few weeks out of the 2013 summer (he gets a ring I believe!) and is currently trying to climb from AAA Salt Lake to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

David Carpenter has the rare distinction of being traded with a Manager as he was dealt to the Boston Red Sox along with skipper John Farrell for infielder Mike Aviles. The BoSox would waive Carpenter, who was then claimed by the Atlanta Braves and had an absolutely terrific 2013 regular season, posting a 1.78 ERA in 65.2 innings.

The headliner of the deal, and the one that Toronto actually kept for more than a few months was J.A. Happ. Like me, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is a big fan of the left-hander. Happ has been semi-productive in the Jays rotation across 2012-2014, but has had his share of rough starts resulting in four relief jobs in 2012 and three more so far in 2014. As of now he’s back in the Jays rotation with a 4.10 ERA, his best in Toronto so far.

Chris Johnson (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)

Chris Johnson – I remember fans just absolutely calling for Chris Johnson’s head during the dog days of a very doggy day 2012 Astros season. Turns out he is not as bad as some grown men hecklers thought.

Johnson was dealt on July 29, 2012 to open up the everyday third base spot for Matt Dominguez, acquired earlier in this post. The Stros acquired 3B-OF Bobby Borchering and OF-1B Marc Krauss. Of course you know Krauss, for better or worse, as he trudged through 2014 as half of the first base platoon for the Astros, swinging his bat to a .173 average. Borchering, a former first round pick (16th overall in 2009 out of HS) was the more intriguing piece but at age 23 has yet to reach AA after two plus seasons in the Astros organization. He moved to first base in 2013, but the results are still pretty tough for Borchering.

Chris Johnson wasn’t long in Arizona — who is these days? — and after a promising half season in 2012 he was packaged as part of the Justin Upton to Atlanta blockbuster while the D-Backs were just unloading former top picks.

Even while impressing in his half season on the radar in Phoenix, Atlanta probably didn’t even think they were getting this much of a talent in a deal where they were already receiving Upton. But with Martin Prado departing in the same deal and Chipper Jones retired, Johnson took a hold of the third base job and played 125 games at the hot corner for Atlanta. He had a marvelous season, hitting .321 with 12 home runs and 68 RBI. In the NLDS vs. the Dodgers he burst onto the national scene, hitting for a .438 postseason average with 5 RBI.

Before the 2014 season, Johnson and the Braves agreed to a three-year extension worth $23.5 million and a fourth year club option, eliminating his arbitration seasons.