Let's hope this time it's for real. For the second day in a row, Carlos Gomez has been traded. This time, Gomez will be joined by Mike Fiers on a flight to Houston to play for the Astros. CBS Sports' Jon Heyman was first to break the story.
After the Gomez-Mets trade broke down on Wednesday because of reported medical concerns surrounding Gomez for the Mets. Milwaukee and Gomez' agent Scott Boras shot down the idea, saying Gomez is completely healthy. Now he is back on the move, heading to the American League to play for the Astros.
Houston has been rolling out Jake Marisnick in center field recently, but Marisnick has hit just .238 this season with five home runs and a .275 on-base percentage. Now the A.L. West leading Astros make a major upgrade in center. While Gomez .268 average isn't ideal for a premium center fielder, his .284 averages in 2013 and 2014, is what Houston hopes he can return to playing with the extra energy on a contender. In the past two seasons, Gomez hit 24 home runs in 2013 and 23 home runs in 2014. When George Springer returns from the disabled list, Houston will have a lineup with Gomez, Springer Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Evan Gattis.
The Astros also improved their rotation in the deal, acquiring the lefty Mike Fiers. The 30-year-old righty owns a 3.89 ERA this season with a 1.36 WHIP and 126 strikeouts in 118 innings. After the Astros' acquisition of Scott Kazmir, Fiers could slide in perfectly as a fourth starter behind Dallas Keuchel, Kazmir and Lance McCullers. Fiers is under contract until 2019, set to make $512,000 this year and will be arbitration eligible between 2016-'18.
Of course acquiring a player of Gomez and Fiers' caliber, who are both under team control through at least 2016, comes at a cost. Milwaukee will receive prospects Brett Phillips, Domingo Santana, Josh Hader and Adrian Houser in return. It's an impressive return for Milwaukee and while they won't be getting a Zack Wheeler in return, they still did very well.
In MLB.com's updated Top 100 prospects list, Phillips came in as their 39th-overall prospect and the Astros' second-best prospect. The 21-year-old outfielder has destroyed the minors this season, spending time in High-A and Double-A. Before his promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi, Williams had a .320/.379/588 slash line with 15 home runs and 53 RBI's in 291 at-bats. He has continued that success at the next level, slashing .321/.372/.463 in 134 at bats with eight doubles, four triples and seven stolen bases. He is a year away from the majors but can become a cornerstone part of the Brewers' lineup in the future.
Santana was ranked as the 87th overall prospect in MLB.com's Top 100 update. Santana has spent a little time with the Astros this year, hitting two home runs with 17 strikeouts in 39 at bats. He earned the promotion after demolishing Triple-A pitchers, hitting 16 home runs with a sensational .320/.426/.582 slash line in 275 at bats. The 22-year-old has a lot of power, which will play well at Miller Park. He should see immediate playing time for the Brewers.
Hader is a 21-year-old left-handed pitcher who has been a significant rise since he was a 19th round pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2012. He made his way up to Double-A this season and performed well, appearing in 17 games with 10 starts, compiling a 3.17 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 69 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings. He earned the organizational honor for Minor League Pitcher of the Year, after starting 15 games for high-A Lancaster, registering a 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and striking out 112 batters in 103 1/3 innings.
Fantasy Spin:
Santana is one player who will certainly see his fantasy value on the rise. He leaves a crowded Astros' outfield and could immediately slide in somewhere for the Brewers, especially if Milwaukee trades Gerardo Parra. Santana would walk into a hitter's heaven and still have protection in the lineup with Ryan Braun, Jean Segura, Khris Davis and Jonathan Lucroy around him.
Gomez situation will also improve, joining a stacked Astros' lineup as mentioned above. Opposing pitchers won't be able to pitch around him quite as much, making them go inside more and that could lead to better pitches to hit for Gomez. He is also an energetic player whose best ability likely comes out on a contending team, so this could be the perfect situation for him.
As for Fiers, he'll remain a solid fantasy contributor who shouldn't have many problems adjusting to the new park. He will have an excellent defense behind him, better than what he had in Milwaukee, and a great lineup to give him run support. BY no means is he a fantasy stud but he will remain a very nice contributor for your team.