00:005-0-1, ah, 5-0-2, the official deadline for all Major League Baseball squads to get deals done
00:09has come and gone.
00:11Boy, I trusted you right there, T. I don't know, I was reading that off your little green writing right
00:15there.
00:16I'm glad you didn't throw an F-bomb or something in there. You would have got me. I was blindly
00:20trusting.
00:20The Major League Baseball trade deadline, 6 o'clock Eastern, 5 o'clock Standard Time, and the Astros,
00:27they have been buyers at the trade deadline. Now, there's still a chance that something could be announced.
00:33We're close enough to the time now that if something went down last minute, something could be announced.
00:38But I don't believe Astros Nation, Luke, by the way, Luke Morrow is in for Ron the Show Ubley.
00:43I don't believe Astros Nation, all my fellow Astro buddies out there, I don't believe they're going to be happy
00:52with what the Astros have done.
00:54And Dana did make one move that Jim Crane allowed him to make.
00:59The Astros have acquired center fielder Dalton Varshow and cash considerations from the Toronto Blue Jays
01:06in exchange for right-handed pitcher Spencer Erighetti.
01:10Right here on the surface right now, which is typically where I live with the Astros, I don't mind this
01:16move.
01:16Does it blow my skirt up? Does it turn me on? Absolutely not.
01:19But I don't mind this move. I know the more you dig, you've got an expiring contract in Dalton Varshow
01:26and you had three-plus years, I believe you said it was, Luke, of control over Spencer Erighetti.
01:31But I thought Spencer Erighetti was going to land in a place of being a middle of a rotation starter.
01:38And boy, the wheels came off this year.
01:40So I don't know exactly how I felt about Spencer Erighetti at this moment.
01:46I didn't think he would be moved, so it kind of took me by surprise when a team's telling you
01:50they need pitching, starting, pitching, starting, pitching, starting, pitching.
01:53You literally trade away the guy that was arguably your best pitcher the first, I don't know,
01:57eight, nine starts of the season once he got moved up.
02:02So I'm not real sure kind of how I feel about Spencer not being here,
02:05but I know in the immediate future it looks like for the rest of the season they've got a center
02:10fielder,
02:10so the turnstile may stop in center field.
02:12He is thought to be elite on the defensive side of it.
02:16Our production at the plate with our outfielders has been really 29th ranked across the board.
02:24So clearly Dalton Varshow comes in, is going to be an upgrade defensively for all my defensive heads out there.
02:30And you've got to believe that he's going to at least improve some of the numbers,
02:34some of the production numbers, along with at some point you get to games that matter,
02:38Jordan Alvarez is in the outfield, and instead of whoever you want to throw in left field,
02:43you've got to think that that improves the production as well.
02:46I don't know how they figure that, but I've got to just bare bones,
02:49you've got to believe that throwing Jordan Alvarez out there improves those numbers big time.
02:53But Dalton Varshow improvement with this roster, the only move that we've seen made so far.
02:59Yeah, it's an underwhelming deadline for the Astros or Astros fans.
03:04I don't think it moves the needle a whole lot.
03:06I don't think it really improves the team in a sense of like,
03:10okay, now we're amongst the very best of the American League.
03:14It makes you better.
03:15I don't know how much it makes you better if you just simply look at the outfield.
03:20I don't know if losing Errogetti is worth it either.
03:23So, like on the 25, or I guess that would be the 40-man roster because, yeah, I just, yeah,
03:29I don't think it's a good enough trade for the Astros, let alone the moves they did not make today.
03:35A lot of starting pitchers are moved today.
03:37We have the TV on in here.
03:39They were just talking about the Cubs who added two starters today.
03:41You know, there was a lot of options.
03:43Casey Mize was just traded a moment ago just before the deadline, I think to the Padres.
03:47Padres added a couple guys today.
03:48A lot of starting pitchers are on the move.
03:50Astros were in on a couple of them.
03:51Never got to that asking price.
03:53They're never willing to give up enough to bring in a starting pitcher and instead get
03:57rid of Errogetti.
03:58So, they weren't willing to take a big enough swing.
04:01They didn't want to do it over the weekend by giving up Brian Abreu.
04:05That would have been a better deal.
04:06And in the end, they just wind up with Varshow.
04:08Now, I asked that they did something today.
04:10They needed to do something just for the guys in the clubhouse.
04:13And they did do that.
04:14So, they at least checked that box for me.
04:17And I can't be, you know, entirely critical.
04:20But the move they made to get Varshow is not a big enough needle mover.
04:26As you said, Clint, good defensive player.
04:27He'll play center field every day.
04:28Hopefully, the offense improves.
04:30He is having a down year.
04:31He is better than the numbers this season.
04:34But last two months, he's batting .217 with two homers.
04:36It hasn't been good.
04:37Maybe a change of scenery will help.
04:40But it's just, it's not a huge addition for, especially for a rental.
04:44It's not like this is going to be your center fielder of the future unless they sign him to an
04:47extension.
04:48But you give up Errogetti and his ceiling for potentially two months of Varshow and his below league average OPS.
04:55It's not a very exciting trade for me.
04:587-10 first pitch tonight right here in Dyken Park against, funny enough, the Blue Jays, right?
05:04So Varshow is already in the clubhouse with the Astros.
05:07And I'm assuming Spencer Ergetti is finishing his bullpen session in the other bullpen.
05:12So they just walk across the diamond, trade jerseys, and we get to rock and roll.
05:17I hadn't seen a starting lineup yet today, I'm assuming.
05:20That's because they're trying to figure out where Varshow slots in,
05:23waiting until his physical is done to make sure everything's good.
05:27And you roll.
05:28They do start a three-game series tonight at Dyken against the Blue Jays.
05:34Again, 7-10 first pitch.
05:36Shane Bieber is going on the bump for the Blue Jays.
05:40Christian Javier.
05:41Christian Javier is on the bump for the Astros.
05:44Thought Christian would start yesterday in that Rangers series.
05:46Peter Lambert ended up going against the Rangers.
05:49I don't know if that was a power move to just get in a game that meant so much,
05:53to take advantage of that.
05:55If so, I love Joe Espada making that move, to be completely honest with you,
05:58of going with a guy that you know has been one of your best all year long
06:02in such a big moment, pitching him on short rest.
06:05Now, I really like it now in hindsight, knowing that it worked out.
06:08And he went, what did he go, five and two-thirds and gave up two earned runs again.
06:12So it was another really solid outing from Peter Lambert.
06:16But we get Christian Javier tonight instead of last night.
06:19Any thoughts on Christian Javier finally after the injuries and the struggles
06:23and all the MI stuff, he gets into the start and rotation.
06:27Did you pull any confidence from that last outing where he was long relief,
06:34where he went five innings and was awfully impressive?
06:36Yeah, I suppose so.
06:38But it was against the Angels.
06:39Now, the Blue Jays, this is a team that, I mean,
06:41they were in the World Series last year, but they've been scuffling this year,
06:44obviously.
06:44That's why they've become, well, they were buyers and sellers today.
06:49They gave away some pieces and brought in some others.
06:52So, I don't have a lot of hope in Javier.
06:55The expectations are low until he shows me otherwise.
06:58That's the case with all these guys coming back from injuries.
07:00It's just hard to expect a whole lot.
07:03So we'll see what he can do tonight.
07:05But somewhat of a soft landing, like I said.
07:07At home against a scuffling Blue Jays team, maybe he'll get five solid innings.
07:11Boy, he's a tough cookie, man.
07:13I mean, good gosh.
07:14After what we've seen from MI and we've seen from Homer Mike,
07:18and, hell, to be honest with you, what we saw from Christian Javier early in the season,
07:21I'll take a couple of layups, man.
07:23The Angels, he did.
07:25I'm with you.
07:25I agree with you.
07:26It's obvious.
07:27It's far from playoff baseball.
07:28But I'll take a couple of layups, and if we can just get Christian Javier to fall into a groove.
07:33We know what he's capable of once he gets his confidence and gets his groove back, if you will.
07:38I need to see that.
07:39So Christian Javier tonight in Dykin, 7-10 first pitch against the Blue Jays with a new-look center fielder.
07:48I kept it real as a true professional myself.
07:51Five o'clock fire.
07:54Jordan Alvarez, this should come as no surprise.
07:57Even though I did hear, I think maybe even you, Luke, I think you may have been one of these.
08:01I'm not going to refer to you as what the in-the-loop guys call you.
08:04But Jordan Alvarez, AL Player of the Month for the month of July.
08:10Fourth career AL Player of the Month, award second this season.
08:15Jordan Alvarez is just having a monster year.
08:18For the month of July, he hit .360.
08:20He was 31 for 86.
08:22Nine home runs, 22 RBIs, .467 on base percentage.
08:26Just go on and on.
08:271,188 OPS in 23 games in the month of July.
08:34He is rocking and rolling.
08:36And I'll do it tomorrow.
08:38I need to do an update on his triple crown here because it's got to still be in play.
08:44But just Jordan Alvarez with another monster month here for the Astros.
08:48Yeah, yeah.
08:49He's been fantastic.
08:51And so, I mean, that's the fascinating thing with this team is that you look at the lineup
08:57and only four guys have, you know, above average numbers.
09:01And so, it's what makes it so impressive for Jordan and what he's doing that last I looked,
09:08and it's been a couple weeks, but last I looked, if you took Jordan out of the lineup, the Astros
09:12as a team would have like a .660 OPS, which would rank second worst in the league.
09:17So, point being, like, Jordan's keeping this offense from being the second worst in baseball
09:22right now.
09:22That's how good he's been.
09:23That's how valuable he's been.
09:25You know, you talk a lot about the Yankees are only .500 since Aaron Judge has been injured.
09:30That shows his value because he's not there and they're not playing as well.
09:34But Jordan shows his value by being there and really carrying this team.
09:38So, congratulations to him for being the player of the month.
09:41It's well-deserved.
09:42I mean, he's putting together one of the better seasons we've seen from any hitter in baseball in a long
09:48time.
09:48Well, hopefully he just keeps his thing rolling.
09:51And those around him pick up some of the slack so that that doesn't continue to be the case,
09:55that without Jordan, you're next to last in OPS.
09:59Hopefully guys can continue.
10:00Looks like you've got some guys like Yiner Diaz is starting to come around a little bit, it seems like.
10:05Never, never, regardless of what Tyler and Ron the show usually say,
10:09I never lose confidence in Jose Altuve.
10:13So, hopefully those numbers will improve.
10:18Five o'clock fire.
10:20All right, and on the trade deadline, which came and went 12-plus minutes ago,
10:26it is official.
10:27I don't know if you saw this, Luke, but Chandler Rome, the Astros are done.
10:31Multiple sources tell The Athletic Dalton Bar Show is their only trade deadline acquisition.
10:35all right, and on the gold situation.
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