Tigers add Astros closer Veras

[Guest]

The Tigers have acquired closer Jose Veras from the Astros in exchange for minor-league outfielder Danry Vasquez and a player to be named.

For his career, the 32-year-old Veras has pitched to a 3.88 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 2.00 K/BB ratio across 369 appearances. This season, Veras owns a 2.93 ERA and career-best 3.00 K/BB ratio in 43 innings. He's also converted 86 percent of his save opportunities in 2013. Veras is eligible for free agency this upcoming winter. In Detroit, Veras will join a bullpen that, despite being maligned throughout recent history, already includes a strong righty-lefty combo in Joaquin Benoit and Drew Smyly. The addition of Veras certainly adds depth and gives manager Jim Leyland another option to protect ninth-inning leads.

As for Houston's end, Vasquez, 19, has a batting line of .276/.317/.368 across parts of three minor-league seasons. This season, he owns an OPS of .723 for Low-A West Michigan. "We are excited to get an outfield prospect of Danry's caliber," said Astros GM Jeff Luhnow in a statement released by the team. "He adds to an already formidable group of prospects at the A ball level. Jose [Veras] will be missed as a team leader both on and off the field."

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/ey...as-from-astros

[NAHSTE]

Luhnow doing Luhnow things. Reasonable deal for Detroit as well, it makes sense for both sides, but it's always a good idea for a team that is going nowhere to unload its relievers whenever possible.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Luhnow doing Luhnow things. Reasonable deal for Detroit as well, it makes sense for both sides, but it's always a good idea for a team that is going nowhere to unload it's relievers whenever possible.

Puke.

You sound like Bryan Kenny, who popped a load for this move and called Astros "the smartest or second smartest front office in sports" this morning.

Yes, let's throw a party for Luhnow's brilliance for doing something obvious that all teams do at the deadline on a yearly basis. His team is a million games out, and he traded a mediorce veteran RP to a contender. That's not a Luhnow thing, it's a standard thing that all GM's do.

Anyway, I agree, good trade for both sides.

[Warner2BruceTD]

man, I am extra salty today

I need to unfollow Kenny

[FedEx227]

Puke.

You sound like Bryan Kenny, who popped a load for this move and called Astros "the smartest or second smartest front office in sports" this morning.

Yes, let's throw a party for Luhnow's brilliance for doing something obvious that all teams do at the deadline on a yearly basis. His team is a million games out, and he traded a mediorce veteran RP to a contender. That's not a Luhnow thing, it's a standard thing that all GM's do.

Anyway, I agree, good trade for both sides.

I would like to note that the White Sox still employ Jesse Crain, Nate Jones and Addison Reed.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I would like to note that the White Sox still employ Jesse Crain, Nate Jones and Addison Reed.

True, but they traded Thornton and nobody did backflips for the Sox front office like they do whenever Luhnow takes a shit.

And Astros still employ Wesley Wright, etc.

[NAHSTE]

Puke.

You sound like Bryan Kenny, who popped a load for this move and called Astros "the smartest or second smartest front office in sports" this morning.

Yes, let's throw a party for Luhnow's brilliance for doing something obvious that all teams do at the deadline on a yearly basis.

Kenny obviously made a pretty ridiculous overstatement, but you are kidding yourself if you think every team is savvy enough to dump their relievers. Some GMs do it on a yearly basis, and some GMs are dumb. Luhnow is clearly in group A.

How many years did Dayton Moore hang on to Soria at the deadline? How about Alderson repeatedly saying he's not listening on Parnell? Mariners could have dealt Wilhemsen last July and held on to him. The Twins say they refuse to move Glen Perkins. Phillies will likely hold Papelbon and his awful contract, etc.

Sure, some of this is also a biproduct of the 2nd wild card convincing teams they are still in it when they are in actuality going nowhere, but there is also a large portion of front offices that fail to cut the cord on their bullpen assets when they should.

[Guest]

Puke.

You sound like Bryan Kenny, who popped a load for this move and called Astros "the smartest or second smartest front office in sports" this morning.

Yes, let's throw a party for Luhnow's brilliance for doing something obvious that all teams do at the deadline on a yearly basis. His team is a million games out, and he traded a mediorce veteran RP to a contender. That's not a Luhnow thing, it's a standard thing that all GM's do.

Anyway, I agree, good trade for both sides.

And people still don't want to give Duquette credit for the Orioles turnaround either. Luhnow's going to get the Astros back into competition, but it's like the exact opposite of the Baker criticism.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I won't jizz over the deal simple because this Vasquez guy looks like a bum.

[Warner2BruceTD]

What exactly has Luhnow done to this point with Houston to this point to warrant so much praise?

Ed Wade started the rebuild process and was the one who traded Oswalt, Pence, Bourn, etc. Wade acquired Cosart.

Luhnow made the Wandy trade, and the big trade with Toronto, along with a bunch of other smaller deals. And he selected the consensus #1 pick in this year's draft.

He's continued a much needed dismantling of the franchise that started under the previous regime. He took a no brainer at #1.

He's doing fine, and he's doing all the right things. But most of the things he's done have been obvious. He hasn't reinvented the wheel in Houston. Pump the brakes, is all i'm saying when it comes to Luhnow. What if this crop of prospects (half of which were acquired by Wade) doesn't work out, like in KC? Is he still a genius?

[NAHSTE]

Ed Wade started the rebuild process and was the one who traded Oswalt, Pence, Bourn, etc. Wade acquired Cosart.

Wade got meh returns for all of those players except Pence, which we can probably attribute more to RAJ being generous than any brilliance of Wade.

Luhnow made the Wandy trade, and the big trade with Toronto, along with a bunch of other smaller deals. And he selected the consensus #1 pick in this year's draft.

You are conveniently ignoring that Luhnow passed on that same guy last draft when he was the consensus #1, took a stud shortstop and gamed the new slotting system to pick up some other high-ceiling guys in later rounds, then still was able to land Appel a year later. Obviously that last part had nothing to do with Luhnow, but the manipulation of the slotting system was pretty innovative and it landed them two bonafide studs plus some other intriguing pieces.

He's doing fine, and he's doing all the right things. But most of the things he's done have been obvious. He hasn't reinvented the wheel in Houston. Pump the brakes, is all i'm saying when it comes to Luhnow. What if this crop of prospects (half of which were acquired by Wade) doesn't work out, like in KC? Is he still a genius?

Well he built the Cardinals, arguably the deepest organization at all levels in the entire league, so yeah. Seems to have earned his reputation as being pretty good at building a farm system. To compare him to the guy who gave Jeff Francoeur a 3-year contract and just traded for Gorkys Hernandez is kind of harsh.

Luhnow's process is impressive, and most (fairly, in my opinion, though perphaps overzealously) assume the results will look great because we've already seen it prove successful in a previous case study.