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3 trades for the Astros involving José Urquidy
If the Astros are to make a trade this off-season, it will likely involve José Urquidy. Let's look at three moves Houston could make.
in 2024, the Houston Astros will look to bounce back from an ALCS defeat and return to the World Series for a fifth time in eight seasons. They still have a great roster, but as the division rival Rangers continue loading up, the Yankees are beginning to operate like the evil empire again, and plenty of free agent dominoes still to fall, Houston may not want to rest on their laurels.
If the Astros look to make an upgrade, they can likely trade from their surplus of starting pitchers. If they make such a move, one starter in particular is likely to be moved.
3 trade packages for the Astros involving José Urquidy
Urquidy debuted in 2019 and has been a solid #5 for the Astros ever since, but with Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, and J.P. France back in 2024, and Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. set to return, the Astros don't exactly need a solid #5.
Moving Urquidy could help them shore up their bench depth or solidify their bullpen. Let's look at three ways the Astros could trade Urquidy to address areas of need.
#1 Astros trade José Urquidy for Dauri Moreta
Dauri Moreta is far from a household name, but he'd go a long way towards solidifying the Astros bullpen. Moreta made 55 appearances in 2023, posting a 3.72 ERA and 11.8 SO/9.
There's plenty to love under the hood. His Statcast page is littered with red. Moreta's 3.02 xERA was in the 93rd percentile, his .188 xBA was 97th percentile, and he missed bats at an incredibly high rate, with a 33.6% whiff rate and 31.8% walk rate.
Moreta doesn't hit arbitration until 2026, and while relievers are volatile, he's worth targeting. He won't be nearly as expensive as David Bednar, but would be a great middle inning arm now with the potential to grow into a leverage arm as Ryan Pressly ages.
Baseball Trade Values (far from a perfect source as evidenced by the -40+ value it assessed Justin Verlander before he cost the Astros their top two prospects) gives Moreta more trade value than Urquidy, so it may take another prospect, but this move would get the Astros under the CBT and shore up their bullpen. This would be a huge move if Houston can pull it off.
#2 Astros trade José Urquidy for Steven Okert
Steven Okert is a reliever we said Houston should have traded for at the deadline. The 32-year-old is arbitration eligible for the first time this year, and is projected to earn $1.2 million. With the Astros believed to be struggling financially over their TV contract, Okert would save them $2 million and help them get under the CBT.
Beyond that, he'd also just help reinforce the Astros bullpen. He's a lefty that wouldn't be acquired simply for the sake of being left-handed, but one that can get outs. For his career, Okert holds a 3.70 ERA. His ERA was a little higher last year at 4.45, but his xERA was more in line with his career average at 3.87.
Okert generates a ton of swing and miss, finishing in the 89th percentile in strikeout rate. He's a two-pitch pitcher with his slider and fastball. His slider has been great for his career, but his four-seam did get touched up a bit last year, generating a -8 run value. Get Okert in the Astros pitching lab and let them make the tweaks they've been so prone to do over the years and Houston could have something special.
Urquidy could help reinforce the Marlins rotation as they are rumored to be shopping names like Sixto Sanchez and even Jesus Luzardo. He'd be a nice bridge with many of their prospects on the way and could be a veteran mentor that has won at the highest level to young stars like Eury Perez.
#3 Astros trade José Urquidy for Kyle Finnegan
The Nationals have some very nice young position players, but they have no starting pitching. They can move off some of their solid relievers to help address this. Kyle Finnegan is a name that's been rumored to be available, and an Urquidy for Finnegan swap makes some sense.
Urquidy immediately becomes a top-3 starter for Washington, likely slotting as their #2 behind Josiah Gray. If the Nationals then made more trades or signed a starter or two, he's a comfortable #4 as he has been throughout his career.
Finnegan was the Nationals closer in 2023, but he'd slot into a lesser leverage role in Houston behind Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu. Finnegan had a 3.76 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 2023, and holds a 3.53 ERA for his career.
Finnegan throws gas, with an average fastball of 97.3 mph, but doesn't get a ton of swing-and-miss and instead lives by keeping the ball on the ground as much as possible.
Finnegan is actually projected to be a little pricier than Uruqidy, with a projected arbitration salary of $5.1 million. With their aforementioned financial concerns, this move would be unlikely unless there was another corresponding cost-cutting move alongside of it.
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