Houston Astros should trade A.J. Reed before the deadline
By Kyle Cardoza
A.J. Reed had his opportunity in the bigs. But he floundered, posting a paltry average. The Houston Astros would be wise to exchange him while he still has some value.
It’s not A.J. Reed’s fault that the Houston Astros possess such a bevy of talent at the Major League level. But if the club weren’t so stacked, surely he would have a more integral role in the organization.
Unfortunately, the first baseman is stuck in purgatory between Triple-A and the bigs. And while a torrid stretch may not propel him onto the major-league roster, it can at least provoke a trade.
At this point, Reed’s best bet of having a storied career in the majors could be on another squad. Before the season, the left-handed slugger had an opportunity to make a statement. Instead, he fell lower on the list of viable call-up options.
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J.D. Davis, Tony Kemp and Derek Fisher all performed well enough to earn stints on the Astros. The other two “AAAA” players mentioned in a past article – Tyler White and Reed – have yet to make an appearance in Minute Maid Park.
Reed tried his best this past weekend to earn some recognition. And the opposing team obliged after he smacked four home runs against the Oklahoma City Dodgers in three games. He also produced 10 RBIs in across 13 at-bats.
The series performance was just a taste of Reed’s successful season so far. The infielder ranks eighth in the Pacific Coast League in OPS – White sits four spots ahead of him with a 1.023 OPS.
Reed continues to improve at the dish with age. His walk rate is up, his whiff rate is down, and he has more than half as many RBIs than last season in 68 fewer games.
A.J. Reed goes deep again. His three-run shot makes it 11-2 in the 6th.
— Oklahoma City Dodgers (@okc_dodgers) June 11, 2018
Hopefully the @astros will call him up before tomorrow’s series finale.
The 25-year-old is an established power hitter in the minor leagues. But is this his peak?
His lowly .156 career average in the MLB might say so. Nevertheless, another team in need of some corner infield depth would surely pay a decent price to haul him in.
Who are potential buyers?
Houston probably doesn’t need the corner infielder anymore, considering Davis’ meteoric rise and Gurriel’s current contract. Marwin Gonzalez will be a free agent this offseason, but he’s more productive in other positions anyway.
Therefore, other teams can benefit from having a seasoned hitter like Reed on their rosters. And one team that’s gotten little to no production from the position is the Rockies.
Ian Desmond garners most of the starts at first base. His atrocious .203/.285/.413 slash line is almost unbearable. But the club’s top prospect in that position, Ryan McMahon, sports substandard numbers as well.
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If Colorado continues to struggle throughout the next few months, it could have some players up for grabs. An issue is that the only player Houston might have interest in is Adam Ottavino. He would require a heftier return than just Reed and a lower-tier prospect.
Hence, the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals might take a chance with the southpaw hitter.
None of Baltimore’s top-30 prospects are first basemen. Meanwhile, Kansas City’s most pro-ready prospect is Samir Duenez, who could see some time starting next year.
Like the Rockies, the Orioles’ most valuable player to the Astros would be a reliever – Zach Britton. And like Ottavino, a trade package would have to include more than just Reed. But it’s doable.
As for Kansas City, Kelvin Herrera is the big-ticket item this summer. He could be a guy general manager Jeff Luhnow is looking at during this time.
Next: How Justin Verlander created a new legacy in Houston
A.J. Reed is nothing more than dead weight at this point. Thus, the best bet is for the Houston Astros to swap him for more depth in the outfield or the bullpen.
If the Astros did it with Colin Moran, they could do it with A.J. Reed — guaranteed.