MLB Trading Deadline: Why Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn Need to Be Traded

(Warning: Spoiler alert!)

As the trade deadline approaches, the Houston Astros are officially sellers.

Sorry to kill the suspense.

(Yes. That was sarcasm.)

These days, losing is something the Astros do a lot. They have hit rock bottom.

But as with all long, dark and abysmal tunnels, there is a light.

For the Astros, the light is there. (Trust me, it is.)

We have seen flashes of what Brett Wallace can do. Chris Johnson has started to bring that average up. Michael Bourn is having a fantastic season and so is Hunter Pence.

J.A. Happ has had some really good outings this year despite his abysmal ERA. Bud Norris is turning in a very solid season and Jordan Lyles is doing well for such a young player. Remember this is also a team missing Jason Castro behind the plate.

Oh, and you probably missed him but Jose Altuve is the name of the little guy at second base these days. He has been pretty fun to watch in his short time in the bigs (puns totally intended).

This is an organization that is still a few years away from thinking playoffs but to get there, Ed Wade and company need to be aggressive in rebuilding the farm system in the AA and AAA levels.

The players that are getting big league exposure now for Houston are not elite top prospects.

Norris and Lyles look good but neither of them are an ace.

Altuve, Wallace and Johnson are good talents but I do not see them as future perennial all-stars.

The Astros have to be looking to trade whoever they have for some talent depth in the minors.

Guys like Wandy Rodriguez or Brett Myers might attract the attention of teams like Boston and Arizona but they probably won’t command an abundance of prospects. Maybe a couple of mid-level prospects that have a potentially high ceiling.

They may also look to trade a Clint Barmes who might draw attention from Atlanta or Tampa Bay.

But again, he probably would not bring in a top of the line prospect or anything close to that.

So who do the Astros have that can bring in those types of players?

Well, probably just two and they are two of my favorite players to watch.

Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence both need to seriously be considered to be traded. Now!

This is especially true since reports of Carlos Beltran being off the market already which means significant outfield help just got a little scarce.

In his limited time on the field, Jason Bourgeois has really impressed me. He has shown a solid stick and can steal bases in high volumes. Is he as good as Michael Bourn?

Probably not. He probably is not going to win a gold glove but can he reach 50-60 steals if given a full time job? Why not? He has 17 this year in just 49 games with just a handful of starts.

He has shown that if a good deal for Bourn comes along, Ed Wade can afford to pull the trigger and give Bourgeois a shot in center and at the same time, get some good prospects in return.

Oh, and Bourn is on the cheap side too and he is only 28. That means he can attract any team looking to make a cheap upgrade and what an upgrade he would be. MLB leader in stolen bases with 38 (only caught seven times makes that number all the more impressive) and let us not forget the Gold Glove he won. 

However, Hunter Pence is who Houston has that can attract the best and most prospects.

Hunter Pence is a jack of all trades. He is having a really good year in Houston with virtually no line up protection. He is a very good defensive player with a plus arm. He has solid speed and can cause problems on the bases.

He also is very versatile in the lineup. He has the speed to bat high in the line up or the run production bat in the middle. 

And those are not the best reasons.

He is still only 28. That means that he can be a fixture in a lineup of a playoff team for years to come. He is starting the prime of his career. Not in the middle of it. Not ending it. Not hoping that he has a prime.

This is the beginning of it.

Also, he is only making $6.9 million and is arbitration eligible for next two years.

That is something really good for a team that is getting him. They are not getting some overpriced veteran that they will be stuck with for a couple of years longer than they wanted.

This also may make a team more willing to trade their top prospect in exchange for Pence because he is so young and is a good value.

They need to not settle for whatever deal comes along for him. They must get very good value in return. If they can’t get it in this market then maybe the offseason might bear better fruit.

The thing to remember is that if Houston holds onto Pence or Bourn, their primes will be peaking for a team that will not be a contender. By the time Houston will be a contender, they will be on the downside of their careers. Only by trading them now can they maximize their value.

I feel that if Ed Wade can pull off a deal (or two) that brings back a top pitching prospect among other high quality prospects, then Houston will be on a much quicker path to the playoffs than if a deal was not made.