Astros Trade Stocks: Who’s Rising and Falling

Jul 17, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Chris Carter (23) is evaluated by medical staff during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

On the Decline: Chris Carter

It’s definitely fair to say that Chris Carter has had a very poor 2015 season. I know there are, and have been, many Carter believers over the past few seasons.  Personally, I never was a big believer, but I understood why people wanted to keep the faith. Through all the pathetic plate appearances, Carter showed short spurts where he crushed the ball on a consistent basis, and it was really fun to watch. Now, it seems as if more and more Astros fans are turning into non-believers.

The most disappointing part of the Chris Carter saga is that we all know what could have been. It’s really getting bad when your own general manager says this. Luhnow said of Carter, “But [the production] hasn’t been there yet, quite frankly, and it’s frustrating because we know what he’s capable of doing. I’m not sure we can wait all year for something to come if it’s not coming.” (Evan Drellich, Houston Chronicle) Luhnow went on to be a bit more optimistic in the rest of the interview, stating that he’s optimistic Carter will bounce back in the second half.

That was said before his injury in last night’s game, and the sense of frustration is very much present in this interview. Carter is a Luhnow acquisition, someone he wanted to produce so badly for the Astros. Now, it looks like the Astros will be moving on to someone else.

As far as his trade status, I think there really isn’t one right now for Carter. He might not avoid the DL after spraining his ankle last night, and there hasn’t been enough production for him to garner interest from other teams anyway. The main problem that Carter forced on the Astros is that now they must find a solution at first base because it doesn’t look like Jon Singleton will cut it for a playoff contender.

Next: Stock Rising: Chris Devenski