The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Brian McTaggart Joins To Talk Astros Lost vs Athletic's & Trade Deadline

Episode Date: July 25, 2025

Brian McTaggart Joins To Talk Astros Lost vs Athletic's & Trade Deadline 

1102 on Sports Talk 790. We normally get a chance to visit with Brian McTaggart every Thursday on the radio show, but he had a flight, did not get the upgrade from Phoenix to Houston, and is joining us here today on the Matt Thomas Show, Ross, on a Friday. Tags, how are things? Things are going well. Going well. How are you guys doing?

We're fine. It's Friday. What are you going to do? Hey, last night to me was one of those. We just finished a three-game sweep. We flew home. We're tired. The A's don't necessarily present a huge challenge.

Just, I mean, I hate to use an ego song, but one of those nights, basically, for the local nine. Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head and just one of those nights. I mean, you know, you're not going to win every game. And, you know, Severino pits really well against the underman lineup. You know, they've had to kind of scratch and claw for everyone in their wins on the road trip. And they just weren't able to do it yesterday. They still had a time run at the plate in the eighth inning. But, yeah, I mean, they, you know, try to catch lightning in a bottle again with Jason Alexander, and it didn't work.

So, I mean, it's just where there are. I mean, when you're relying on some guys who, you know, probably wouldn't be here because of injuries, it's just not going to work out some nights. So it's just, yeah, but, you know, you've got to come back and if you're the Astros, try to get these next three and at least get a split in this series. But, yeah, if you could try to win the series now, that's probably the goal. I'll be honest with you as I was following the game on television. in radio and then watching your tweets. I was more frankly intrigued what was happening at the minor leagues. How about you?

I mean, we got some guys that are double A, triple A and, and again, my philosophy has been on this show since all these injuries is when they wear the word Astros or Houston in the uniform, I'll really, really care. But at least we saw some tangible minor league competition for some guys that were hurt for quite some time. Yeah, I'm right with you. About the third inning, I called up the Sugar Land box score and was sort of false. and along and seeing what was going on with Christian Javier making a rehab start yesterday.

And threw 49 pitches in two and two-thirds inning. So that's a pretty good amount through a lot of strikes, through 30 strikes, give up one run on a sack fly. Touched 95 with the fastball. So I think he averaged like 93 something with the fastball. So the VLO was there. Only had three swings and misses from 20 swings. So, you know, didn't miss a lot of bats, but still it looked like a good. amount of volume. It looked like he was, you know, getting closer to returning. And then Jacob

Melton also played in that game and absolutely crushed two balls. One of me hit off the wall for a double that was over 111 miles an hour. So, you know, he's still a rookie, but I think he's a guy who can come up here and help you a little bit. So, and then over the weekend now, we got Spencer Arrigetti pitching tonight at Corpus Christi. You have Luis Garcia tomorrow on Corpus Christi and JP France tomorrow on Corpus Christi. So, hey, look, I mean, these guys, are on rehabs at the upper minor leagues. Within a week or two, we're going to start seeing some guys activated, and then the help is on its way.

So, look, Jason Alexander knows he's probably headed back to AAA. That's an easy one. Give me where you think there is not necessarily huge debate, but a little uneasiness with some guys that are in the rotation right now that might lose their spots. Yeah, well, you have a couple of sure things, of course, and Fromber and Hunter Brown. I was looking yesterday, and those two guys are dastros are 29 and 11 when those guys start.

And when anybody else starts, they're 31 and 32, so they're under 500. And they've also thrown, I think, 43% of the innings by starters this year. So they've carried the biggest part of the workload. I think Brandon Walter has put himself in good position. I mean, he's just, he's stacked good starts. He's had a couple of ones here and there that aren't so good. But, you know, he's a guy that's, you know, he's a lefty, he's deceptive. he's got that cutter that he spots really well.

So I think he's put himself in a good spot. You know, Colton Gordon has done a nice job as well. You know, Ryan Gusto, who pitches tonight is a guy who can go to the bullpen. We've seen that in the past. So I would suspect if they get a reliever or two back here, you know, we could see Gusto go back to the bullpen and sort of be that swing man guy. But, you know, if they get like three or four starters back, it's just going to come down to who's pitching better.

I mean, if Walter is out pitching somebody else, then, you know, he's going to pitch. But this is good news for the Astros that, you know, all these guys, they seem so far away when they got sent to Florida and they're, you know, they're throwing bullpins and live BP's. But now they're in double A, AAA, in rehab games, you just start to feel they're just around the corner. And it's got to be pretty exciting for the Astros. The McCuller situation just seems extremely unpredictable. feels like it's easier to get rid of him if he just can't turn any corner easy to keep him if he does turn the corner but what if he continues to be up and down and you have all these guys getting healthy of course he's on the aisle now with the blister issue but i am extremely

interested to see how that unfolds yeah i'm with you ross i think it's going to be really interesting you know if he's going to come up and not get deep in the ball games and they have other options i mean they have to go with the other options it's just the way it is i mean You know, Lance has done a lot of great things for this team, and he's, you know, he's got a big contract through next year, but this is still a performance-based business, and they need pitchers who are going to go deep in the game. So, yeah, the whole deal is a weird deal because, you know, when he got done with the start the other night in Seattle, he didn't say anything about a blister. He just said, you know, he's got to pitch better, and you could tell he was frustrated, but there was no talk of a blister. I didn't see him looking at a blister at any point in that game. And then we find out, you know, he flies back to Houston because he's got a blister.

So he wasn't there yesterday. He didn't get a chance to talk to him. So kind of a weird deal. You know, not sure where you go with Lance or what you do at this point. But I guess, first of all, you've got to figure out what's going on with this blister. And then, you know, see if you can run him back out there and what he's got. Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk 790. Josh Naylor to the Mariners.

yesterday. So the arms race has kicked off for the deadline. What do you think about what the Mariners gave up for him and kind of where that puts the Astros in their search for help? Yeah, I think this is sort of the one that's going to get things going. I mean, this is the big, first big domino to fall. A great addition to their lineup. I mean, they had, you know, Luke Rayleigh playing first who isn't very good, frankly. So, you know, Naylor's a guy who doesn't strike out who's got some power. He's going to fit in really well in that lineup. He's going to make the Mariners a lot better.

I believe they give up their number 13 and 16 prospects. And their prospect list is much deeper than the Astros. So those are two guys that are probably if they were in the Astro system or probably top seven or eight prospects. So they give up some good prospects, but I don't

think anything that at the end of the day, you know, they're going to be kicking themselves down the road. Who knows? But I mean, I think all and all is a good trade for them and now they're still very much after eugenio sweres we saw him over the weekend um in Arizona he played with seattle before they would love to get him back and they have the prospects to do it i think they had nine of the top 100 prospects on mb.com's a pipeline list the astros had one which is brys matthew so they're the mariners are in much better position to you know make another

impact deal that that's not to say the astros can't um and i think they will make some deals they definitely need a bat, a left-handed bat. They are interested in Suarez, just with, it looks like Paredes is going to be out a while. So whoever, whoever he goes, he's going to make that team a lot better. This is a guy who could hit 50 home runs. So it's going to be really interested. Astros also need a right-handed reliever. They could put in that high-leverage pocket with Brian King and Bennett-Suzza, a guy, you know, just a right-hander. They could mix in there if they have a pocket of right-handed hitters. I wonder if they're going to push hard for starting pitching at this point.

Just like we said earlier, they got guys coming back that you feel pretty good about. And maybe, you know, you shift your focus now to getting a bad and a reliever. But definitely going to be a very, very interesting next week. But Astros will make a trade or two. And this team could look a lot different in Boston next week. Clearly, Suarez would be a huge addition, especially because if Peredis is, Hammy is as bad as it looked when he limped off the field. It could be a while.

And we've spent time, and you have and all the writers and the people that follow this team, begrudging the minor league system and how that Dana has had to go to that system so many times when he was trying to stockpile. So let's put the cards on the table. What could the Astros possibly offer that other teams wouldn't offer, that would offer less that would make the Astros a spot that Arizona would like to talk to? Well, I mean, they have some intriguing arms in the minor leagues. Miguel Eulola is one of their best strikeout minor league pitchers.

I mean, a lot of teams would love to slot him in the AAA lineup and think maybe he could help him down the road. AJ Bluebaugh is a guy who's got some value. They have some up-and-coming outfielers like Joseph Sullivan, who's Pat Sullivan, the former Heisman trophy winner. That's his grandson. I mean, look, they got players in the minor leagues. Do they have, is the top end players of a lot of teams? No, but if they're going to trade for Suarez and you're going to send two or three prospects, they have enough to get it done.

It will be a little more challenging. You're right because other teams have probably better prospects to offer, but they're also, you know, are they going to be willing to part with some of these prospects as well? So it's tricky. It's a delicate time of year. It's a chess match here for the next six days. But, you know, look at all the, like I've said before, look at all the prospects the Astros have dealt year after year.

And none of those guys really have come back to bite them. You know, maybe Teoska Hernandez when they traded him to Toronto for Aoki. That's one you want back. But the four guys they sent to Verlander, you know, so far the three guys they sent to Toronto or the low perfido homered last night. And it's still early for those guys. but, you know, Jim Crane is very much of the philosophy, hey, we're here to win now. Prospects, you know, deal them.

Let's get players that can help us win, and they're going to get some players. Last question. Could the Astros dangle one of their left-handed relievers out there because teams, you know this time of year, are always looking for situational lefties to get just an out, maybe two batters. Could one of them be expendable in order to help make a trade of some sort? Yes, I think so. I know Dana is not a fan of trading from the Major League roster, but they do have a surplus there.

And if they do add a right-handed reliever, I think the one guy that's probably the most likely to be traded would be Stephen O'Kart. We saw him pitch a little last night. I think Brian King and Bennett-Suzza have just been too valuable. I think those are the two guys they would want to keep. But I could definitely see them trading O'Kart if another team wants. So lefty reliever as part of a package, then I think they would be willing to do that.

You know, Dane is hesitant to take away from a team that's already pretty under man. But, you know, that is a – they got three lefty relievers they can put in the latent game. So, yeah, I think there's a chance, but probably unlikely at this point. If you love Brian McTagger now, imagine with him and Ross tonight at 6 o'clock as part of the On Deck Show. Wow, twice and one day. I'll rehash these questions somehow, Brian. Okay, I'll come up with different answers. Maybe they make a trade between now and that

Oh, no, we don't want that. No, no, no, no, no trade. Six o'clock. Astros on deck. Coming your way. If you're going to make a trade, don't do it until six o'clock because I don't want the eight team to get any part of that love. That's ridiculous. If I'm feeling lazy, I'll be a home.

If I'm not, I'll be at the ballpark. I'll let you know. He's going to be lazy. Tags will talk to you. I'll talk to you from your home. Thanks, tags. We'll see you later. Brian McTaggart.