Mets Trade Proposal: Luis Guillorme to the Astros for Myles Straw

There has been plenty of talk about the New York Mets and Houston Astros matching up in a possible blockbuster deal this summer. A lesser trade they should consider would be a swap of Luis Guillorme for Myles Straw.

The July 31 trade deadline is fast approaching and speculation abounds on what the New York Mets will or should do. I propose a trade between the Mets and Houston Astros that does not include the usual names. Luis Guillorme even up for Myles Straw.

Fans have been asking that Straw be included in any trade involving Zack Wheeler or Noah Syndergaard. He plays the outfield well and has excellent speed, something the Mets do not have anymore now that Juan Lagares has been bitten by the aging/injury curve.

Oddly the Astros have been using Straw at shortstop while Carlos Correa was out with an injury. Correa just came back on 7/25.

Luis Guillorme plays shortstop and second base well (when the Mets allow him to do so) and has a good eye at the plate. He is the anti-Amed Rosario. If you could combine Rosario’s live bat and speed with Guillorme’s hands, instinct, and on-base skills you would have a perennial All-Star.

Straw and Guillorme are both 24 years old born three weeks apart.

Scouting and prospect rankings

According to Fangraphs, this is the scouting report for Straw:

• Hit 50 / 55
• Game power 20 / 20
• Raw power 30 / 30
• Speed 70 / 70
• Field 60 / 60
• Throw 55 / 55
• Future value 40

Fangraphs scouting report for Guillorme

• Hit 45 / 55
• Game power 20 / 20
• Raw power 45 / 45
• Speed 45 / 45
• Field 70 / 70
• Throw 60 / 60
• Future value 45

Straw was ranked as the 10th best prospect for the Astros in 2018 by the Crawfish Boxes blog. Guillorme was ranked as the 12th best prospect for the Mets in 2018 by the Prospects 1500 website.

Guillorme did not make the top 30 Mets prospects 2018 MLB Prospect Watch while Straw was ranked 15th for the Astros.

Guillorme was ranked 5th in the Mets top 20 in Minor League Ball for 2018 and Straw was not ranked but listed as an additional C+ prospect. FYI JD Davis was 8th on that list.

ZiPs projections for 2019 per Fangraphs

Guillorme .241/.308/.303/.611

Straw .251/.330/.308/.638

Actual performance in the Major Leagues

Here is where there is a significant difference. Straw has hit .264/.379/.356/.735 in 46 games 104 plate appearances and 87 at-bats in 2018 and 2019.

Guillorme has hit .202/.268/.225/.493 in 52 games 97 plate appearances and 89 at-bats.

Why this makes sense for the Mets

Myles Straw could end up the Mets starting CF if this trade is made. At the very least it gives the Mets better options than they have had since Lagares flamed out. CF is the weakest position throughout the Mets system while SS is the strongest.

Guillorme is best used as a backup middle infielder and for whatever reason, the Mets do not use him that way. This trade proposal is as much about letting Guillorme go somewhere he will be appreciated and get to play SS and 2B as it is about getting a CF prospect.

Why this makes sense for the Astros

The fact that the Astros started Straw at SS 13 times this season tells you that they have a greater need in the middle infield than in the outfield where Straw shines.

They just traded 1B Tyler White and DFA’d utility player Tony Kemp leaving an infield of 3B Alex Bregman SS Correa 2B Jose Altuve 1B Gurriel with Aledmys Diaz as the only experienced backup.

Gurriel and Bregman have started at 3B and SS 29 times this season while Diaz and Correa were both out with injuries. Now that everyone is back the Astros have returned them to their primary positions leaving room for another backup middle infielder like Guillorme.

In CF they have starter George Springer and defensive stalwart Jake Marisnick leaving little room for Straw to play his best position.

Why it probably will not happen

Prospect for prospect trades are very rare in MLB, probably due to the risk of having the one you trade become a star while the one you got being mediocre.

Most likely though is that Brodie Van Wagenen is desperately trying to trade some combination of Wheeler, Syndergaard, Frazier, and Vargas and trades like this have not shown up on his radar.

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

Disclaimer: Guillorme is one of my favorite players and I want to see him play SS and 2B in the major leagues as much as possible in his career.