Houston Astros Writer Throws Water on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Trade Rumor Fire
The Houston Astros have gone 8-1 over their last nine games. It has been a run that has helped the team get back into the mix of the American League Wild Card race.
In addition to the Wild Card race, the Astros are just five games behind the Seattle Mariners in the division.
Due to the run they have been on, it has had many analysts questioning what the team will do ahead of the MLB trade deadline next month. Some are starting to believe that they could end up being buyers.
One name that has been linked to Houston that would involve a blockbuster trade is Toronto Blue Jays star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Guerrero has become a very hot topic in the rumor mill. While the Blue Jays have openly stated that they don't plan to move him, many teams seem to think that the right offer could force them to consider pulling the trigger.
Despite the interest in Guerrero and the Astros being linked as a possible trade suitor, one Houston writer threw water on the Guerrero trade rumor fire.
In an article on The Crawfish Boxes, a website that covers the Astros, one major reason was given for why the team would not pull off a trade for Guerrero.
"One rumor claims that the Astros have made the Blue Jays’ Vlad Guerrero, Jr. a trade target. I am skeptical of that idea. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to see Guerrero batting for the Astros. He is a great hitter and would be under team control through 2025. But there’s a an important catch. His salary is $19.9 million, and he is likely to receive a raise in arbitration next year. The Astos are on the bare edges of a CBT penalty, and the remainder owed on this year’s salary in addition to the $20 million-plus next year will probably put the Astros into tax territory."
While that is just one opinion from a non-insider, it makes sense.
It seems very unlikely that Houston would want to go into the tax territory to acquire Guerrero. Other moves would be required to make sure that they stay away from that situation.
There are other moves that could be made, but it would not be easy.
All of that being said, no one truly knows what the Astros are going to do. They could pursue a trade for Guerrero and worry about the financial ramifications later. However, this is a compelling case that trading for the 25-year-old first baseman might not be a likely scenario.
EVAN MASSEY
Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers both the NFL and NBA. He has worked for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net, and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.