The Astros traded Matt Lindstrom, in a further effort to shed payroll - which is like throwing deck chairs off the Queen Mary - and to restock Eddie's Farm.
Jonathan Mayo says...
On Wes Musick:
Musick will be 24 for the 2011 season, and he's a southpaw with a reputation as a strike-thrower. He throws his fastball in the 88-90-mph range with a good curveball. He does have the ability to get hitters to swing and miss. Whether he's able to remain a starter will depend on his ability to develop his changeup, something the Rockies had him working on this past year.
On Jonnathan Aristil:
With a 90-mph fastball and decent secondary stuff, Aristil profiles as a long reliever or a spot starter. He's willing to soak up innings and he's not afraid to take the ball in any situation.
Baseball America:
On Aristil:
Aristil finished his season with two scoreless innings in Triple-A with Colorado Springs, but the converted infielder had an unimpressive season. Our scouting report also isn't terribly impressive. He's got an upper-80s fastball that touches the low 90s, an average changeup that he relies on significantly, and a below-average curveball.
On Musick:
Musick has an easy scouting report as a classic lefthander with excellent secondary stuff and a fringy fastball. He has a long medical history, as he had both knee surgery to repair a torn ACL and Tommy John surgery when he was in college at Houston. Musick was drafted three times—out of high school by the Astros in 2005, as well as '08 and '09—because of his feel for a curveball and an excellent changeups, which scouts rate as a plus pitch.
Ed Wade:
In a perfect world you can keep everybody around and be even stronger but, the reality at this point and time, we felt we had protection on the back end of the bullpen. With the ability to go out and add two more young arms to create more depth in the system and balance the payroll, this was a sensible deal for us to make.
It makes perfect sense to make this trade (although why Lindstrom wasn't included in the Paulino trade is unclear). The Astros have already committed to Brandon Lyon for $5m+, and Lindstrom was probably going to get $2-3m in arbitration. For a team that would feel lucky to finish .500, you don't really need to commit $7-8m to the last two innings.
I liked Lindstrom, but his back problems and the presence of Brandon Lyon made him expendable. Of course, had the Astros traded Lyon, it would have made further payroll sense, but I digress. Ultimately, good move by Wade, and there's one less 30-year old on the roster.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
