Every few seasons Brian Moehler decides that he doesn’t stink and this appears to be one of those years. Moehler has pitched in 15 games (10 starts) for the Astros this season and he is 4-3 with a 3.82 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. With a lot of the Astros’ starting pitchers either getting injured or just flat out going into the tank…..Moehler has been a godsend for them. If the Astros decide to sell at the trading deadline and Moehler is still pitching good they might be able to get a prospect for him.

The Astros have recalled 30-year old righty starting pitcher Runelvys Hernandez to replace Shawn Chacon in the starting rotation. He started 15 games in AAA ball this season and he was 6-3 with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He also has started 1 game for the Astros this season and he is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. Hernandez was once one of the brightest prospects in the Royals’ minor league system but he is running out of time to establish himself in the major leagues. He has pitched in 79 games (all starts) in his major league career and he is 25-34 with a 5.38 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP.

No matter how bad a GM is talking about you it’s not smart to choke slam him like a pro wrestler but that’s exactly what Shawn Chacon did to Astros’ GM Ed Wade. Chacon will likely never pitch for the Astros again and he really doesn’t have any worth in the trade market because of this incident. Chacon has started 15 games for the Astros this season and he is 2-3 with a 5.04 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP.

UPDATE: The Astros have waived Shawn Chacon.

The Astros have placed starting 2B Kaz Matsui on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring. Matsui has played in 57 games this season for the Astros and he is 61 for 225 (.271 avg, .678 OPS) with 31 runs scored, 1 homer, 18 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Mark Loretta will likely take over as the starting 2B until Matsui is ready to return to action. Loretta has played in 49 games this season for the Astros and he is 33 for 124 (.266 avg, .723 OPS) with 10 runs scored, 2 homers and 16 RBIs. 34-year old lefty swinging David Newhan has been recalled to replace Matsui on the roster. Newhan has played in 2 games for the Astros this season and he is 0 for 1. He has also played in 60 games in AAA ball this season and he is 61 for 198 (.308 avg, .890 OPS) with 39 runs scored, 9 homers, 36 RBIs and 8 stolen bases.

With Chien-Ming Wang down for the season the Yankees will be definately looking for a top of the rotation starting pitcher and they might be willing to give up some of the farm to get one. If the Astros continue to fall from the playoff race they will probably look to move some money and Oswalt is a pretty attractive piece for a contender to go after. If the Yankees were to give up righty pitchers Alan Horne, Ross Ohlendorf, catcher Jesus Montero and outfielder Jose Tabata the Astros would have to consider trading them Roy Oswalt and Darin Erstad. Oswalt would fill a huge hole in the Yankees’ rotation and Darin Erstad would give them some value off the bench in the outfield. Ross Ohlendorf would move right into the Astros’ bullpen. He has pitched in 22 games (0 starts) for the Yankees this season and he is 1-1 with a 5.65 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. Alan Horne would give the Astros a starting pitcher with a nice upside. He has only started 4 games in AAA this season and he is 2-0 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. But, catcher Jesus Montero and outfielder Jose Tabata are the two players that would be in this trade that have huge upsides. Montero is only 18 years old right now and he’s playing in A-ball. The righty swinging Montero has played in 67 games in A-ball this year and he is 86 for 278 (.309 avg, .801 OPS) with 42 runs scored, 7 homers and 47 RBIs. Montero is a big guy at 6′4″, 225 pounds and he could fill a big need down the road for the Astros if he continues to improve. Jose Tabata is a 19-year old righty swinging outfielder who is having some troubles in AA but he’s still very highly thought of nonetheless. Tabata has played in 65 games in AA-ball this year and he is 57 for 241 (.237 avg, .596 OPS) with 31 runs scored, 1 homer, 27 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. I now that Roy Oswalt is a hero in Texas but the Astros might be getting close to waving the White Flag on this season and this offer would help them in rebuilding the franchise. Just something to think about.