First Melvin Upton Jr., and now this. The Blue Jays like cross-clubhouse trades, apparently. According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, the Blue Jays have reportedly acquired Scot Feldman from the Astros.
First Melvin Upton Jr., and now Scott Feldman.
Astros have traded RHP Scott Feldman to Blue Jays.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 1, 2016
Feldman, who’s been a starter for the majority of his career, has worked for the Houston Astros out of the bullpen in 2016. By ERA, Feldman’s been rather good in both roles:3.64 ERA over five starts, 2.41 ERA over 21 relief appearances.
While not directly related, it seems that the Scott Feldman and Jesse Chavez trades are somewhat linked. Feldman is a direct upgrade over Chavez in the bullpen, and also fulfills the sixth starter role that Chavez previously held. Moreover, by trading Jesse Chavez and the $1.4 million left on his contract to the Dodgers, the Jays have offset some of the $3.5 million remaining on Feldman’s contract.
However, the trade becomes especially odd when one considers both the return, and the context of the Astros and Jays in the playoff race. Per Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, the Blue Jays gave up 18 year old Mexican starter Guadalupe Chavez in return for Feldman.
Source: Astros are getting Guadalupe Chavez from the Blue Jays for Scott Feldman.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2016
The young right-hander was signed by the Jays in the 2014 signing period out of Mexico. At the time, Baseball America noted that, “He’s a good athlete with a skinny 6-foot-2, 150-pound frame and already throws up to 93 mph while flashing an above-average changeup that’s ahead of his curveball, with good pitchability for his experience level.” Guadalupe Chavez made six starts for the GCL Blue Jays, a Gulf Coast League affiliate.
At present, the Blue Jays and Astros are battling it out in the American League wild card race, with the Jays slightly ahead. That’s what makes it so odd to see the Astros give up Feldman, a player with a decent amount of value as a swingman. Perhaps offloading what’s left on Feldman’s contract for 2016 allows the Astros to make another acquisition. Otherwise, the deal makes little sense from their point of view.
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