I had high hopes for Sutton, so this is kind of disappointing. Sutton demonstrated that he is a good offensive player in AA, putting up an OPS over .900 and exhibiting both power and plate discipline. His down side is that even though he plays all infield positions, he isn't a particularly good defensive player. His best position is 2d base. He is ranked in the top 6 Astros prospects on most every list. Fangraphs may have put him as high as 2d or 3d, but most have him around 6. Of course, a 6th best on the Astros' list would be much lower on other teams. Sutton reminds me of that gritty, power hitting middle infield prospect which the Astros seem to groom, but who seldom makes the major league team (partly attributable to the presence of Biggio and Burke in the system)--comparable to Brooks Conrad or Keith Ginter.
I think the Astros probably concluded that Matsui, signed through next year, and Keppinger, still under team control next year, would block Sutton. I got the impression that Cooper preferred Manzella and Maysonet because they were better defensive players. Also, Sutton gained his offensive skill relatively late in his minor league career, and I think Wade is betting that Sutton's offensive numbers aren't sustainable at higher levels. I felt that Sutton needed to make the ML roster this year because he is relatively old, and would start to get the Quad-A reputation if he doesn't make the majors by age 26. I hope that this trade doesn't come back to bite the Astros.
On the surface, it isn't a bad trade. A 25 year old minor league infield prospect for a 29 year old proven major league infielder doesn't seem unfair. However, given that the Reds were in a roster bind with Keppinger, you wonder if the Astros could have waited and gotten the trade done more cheaply.
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Originally Posted by dougdirt
