San Francisco Giants: MLB-ready trade deadline targets, Part 2

Houston Astros

For a better idea of which San Francisco Giants players might interest the Astros, check out the Sell-off Series.

Current MLB Players
Josh James
Tony Kemp
Myles Straw

Blocked Triple-A Players
Kyle Tucker
Derek Fisher
Josh Rojas
Alex De Goti
Nick Tanielu
Taylor Jones

Pitchers
Cionel Perez
Dean Deetz
Kit Scheetz

Few teams have more quality depth at the upper levels of the minors than the Astros, and that’s abundantly clear from this list.

James, 26, is currently in the Astros’ bullpen where he’s working primarily off his upper 90s fastball, plus changeup, and above-average slider. His control has limited his effectiveness (5.7 BB/9), but he still has front-line starter potential. There’s a good chance he’s out of reach for the Giants.

Kemp, 27, might be the most obtainable. Aledmys Diaz and Carlos Correa are close to returning and he’s set to become a bit more expensive next season in his first year of arbitration. He’s a solid left fielder, and he’s played a passable second base and center field as well.

Straw doesn’t profile as an everyday player in Houston, but he’s an intriguing player with some upside at the age of 24. He uses an all-fields approach and above-average plate discipline to reach base consistently. He has 70-grade speed, a solid arm, and is a plus defender in center field making him at minimum a valuable fourth outfielder with some useful versatility thanks to his ability to handle shortstop.

It’s unlikely the Astros have soured on Tucker, who was a top-20 prospect last season, to the point that they would be willing to move him for a rental. He was once a top-20 prospect in baseball and despite struggling in a cup of coffee last season, he still has tremendous upside. That said, they have enough depth to move him in the right deal.

Fisher has also struggled in limited big-league action, but he has the tools to be a 20-20 player in the majors. He’s still only 25 and is buried on the Astros depth chart, making him an ideal buy-low candidate.

Rojas was a late-round find out of the University of Hawaii who has performed better as a pro than in college. They are prepping him to be a super-utility player as he’s seen time at every infield and outfield position with exception to catcher and center field. He works walks and consistently puts the ball in plays with more doubles than home run power, but still might have enough bat to be an average everyday player.

De Goti doesn’t even get mentioned in the Astros’ system rankings. But, he’s capable of playing anywhere on the infield and has been a league-average hitter at every level, including Triple-A. Tanielu is another mid-20s guy who can handle third or second base with a solid approach and doubles power. Jones is a 6’7” right-handed bopper likely limited to first base and left field.

Perez has three potentially plus pitches, but lacks control and feel on the mound. With that said, he’s still just 23, and he has already reached the big leagues and has a very high ceiling.

Scheetz and Deetz, on the other hand, are both low-ceiling reliever specialists. Deetz has a mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball, but severe control problems limit him to a future in middle relief. Scheetz is a LOOGY in the mold of Javier Lopez who works off four different pitches from different arm angles, but none are particularly overwhelming.