The Astros acquired infielder/outfielder Trey Cabbage from the Angels on Wednesday in exchange for pitching prospect Carlos Espinosa, increasing their depth at organizational positions.
This move should give Houston even more depth in the upper minors, especially considering Cabbage has two minor league options remaining. Beyond his potential as a big-player, he could also give the club some defensive versatility as a corner outfielder or first baseman, but that's not an option since first baseman and designated hitter John Singleton was hired by the Astros. It's something I don't have.
Trade details
The Astros will receive: INF/OF Trey Cabbage (Angels No. 26 Prospect)
What the angel gets: RHP Carlos Espinosa
The left-handed Cabbage also looks to young prospects and fellow left-handers Jacob Melton (the club's No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline), Joey Loperfido (No. 6) and Will Wagner (No. 15) to gain exposure in the majors. It may be possible to prevent it from happening. It is scheduled to debut in 2024, so it needs more seasoning.
Cabbage, 26, was DFAed by the Angels on Saturday and will make his MLB debut on July 14, 2023. He hit .208/.232/.321 (.553 OPS) in 22 games with major league teams. ) He had one home run, three doubles, and seven RBIs in 22 games.
Cabbage, ranked the Halos' No. 26 prospect by MLB Pipeline, hit .306/.379/.596 (.975 OPS) with 30 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 25 doubles in 107 games with Triple-A Salt Lake. , recorded 32 stolen bases. He plays in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. This performance earned him MiLB.com Organizational All-Star and PCL Postseason All-Star honors.
Cabbage was drafted by the Twins in the fourth round in 2015 and joined the Angels in 2021. In parts of eight minor league seasons, he hit .261/.336/.473 (.809 OPS) with 96 home runs, 345 RBIs, and 62 stolen bases in 567 games.
Espinosa, 22, played for Single-A Fayetteville and the Astros' Florida Complex League affiliate in 2023, posting a combined record of 4-5 with a 4.29 ERA in 15 games (seven starts). . Espinosa, who was not ranked among Houston's top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline, originally signed with the Astros as an international free agent from Cuba on January 15, 2022.
