Astros Land Desperately Needed Upside for Roy Oswalt

When it comes to the Houston Astros, it has been a consistent struggle in recent years to develop or acquire young, high-upside talent. By trading Roy Oswalt, they took an enormous step in the right direction in landing a proper level of high-impact type talent in return.

Houston hasn't exactly been known for outstanding trades, but in this particular case score one for the 'Stros. In Jonathan Villar, the Astros took a necessary gamble on a talented low-level player and also got themselves a quality young lefty with big league experience in J.A. Happ. We've seen quite a bit of Happ at the big league level, but the real difference-makers could end up being Villar and Brett Wallace (pictured at right) -- the latter coming over from the Blue Jays in exchange for Anthony Gose, another part of the package in the Oswalt deal, who in turn bolsters Toronto's rapidly improving farm system.

Here's a breakdown of the prospects on the move Thursday:

Jonathan Villar, SS

Of course there is nothing wrong with getting a hitting prospect the caliber of Brett Wallace, but it is Villar that has the potential to be a difference-maker at a premium position for Houston. I got my first glimpse of the 19-year-old shortstop in GCL action in 2009 and his athleticism, instincts, and raw ability at shortstop were immediately apparent.

Villar has the ability to be a plus defender at shortstop, showing outstanding range and a strong arm. But what continued to stand out to me most was his presence in the middle of the diamond, especially for a teenage player. He plays the role of vocal leader on the field and has the instincts of a much more experienced player. Right now, he is still prone to some inconsistency and will rack up some errors on outstanding plays where he should have simply put the ball in his pocket. Game-to-game he needs to be more reliable, and he will have those games that make a coach scratch his head. But when he has it together he's a pleasure to watch at shortstop.

At the plate, Villar is not quite as far along as he is in the field but the talent is still impressive. He's a plus runner and knows it well. He knows how to slap the ball the other way from both sides of the plate and consistently keeps the ball on the ground. He's a 70 runner on the 20-80 scale and is a potential 40-stolen-base threat at the next level. Villar is not going to provide a lot of thump but it's just not his game. The bat is going to be a work in progress as he learns plate discipline, but the bat speed and swing mechanics you look for are there.



The question, of course, will be, did the Astros take a big gamble on a player like Villar? Yes, they did. They took a gamble on a huge ceiling player that could be a game-changing star at the top of the lineup with above-average defensive skills at a premium position. It's a gamble Houston's farm system needs. Villar is not an immediate impact player, but with some patience the end result could be special.

Brett Wallace, 1B

In a rather short span now, Wallace has been traded around quite a bit at this early stage of his career. Part of that has to do with his unusual profile and part of it is teams continually seeing tremendous value in his potent bat. The power numbers have spiked for Wallace here in 2010, making his future at first base all the more logical. Back in spring training, Wallace showed me legit 25-35 home run type power and the ability to hit tough left-handed pitching with authority.

For what it's worth, trading Wallace for a player like Anthony Gose also in some ways signals a shift in philosophy in Toronto. As oppose to a bat-first, polished player like Wallace, Toronto opted for the raw but very toolsy Gose. And while Wallace has the potential to be an impact bat, it is interesting and encouraging to see Toronto attempting to develop a high-upside player at a premium position like Gose.

Anthony Gose, CF

It originally appeared that Houston was taking a very significant gamble on two raw players like Gose and Villar, but we quickly learned that the Astros were flipping him for Wallace and the deal then seemed more balanced. Like Villar, Gose is both very talented and very raw. He possesses game-changing plus speed and a cannon for an arm in center field. The lefty-swinging Gose has held his own in the pitching-friendly Florida State League this season but still has much to learn in all facets of the game.

While the 19-year-old's speed can be classified as nearly off the charts, he can be a bit reckless on the bases and in the field. He plays a shallow center field and gets burned at times and is still learning to be a smarter base stealer. In time, however, he could be a prolific base stealer and a Gold Glove-type center fielder. His raw athleticism, speed, and arm strength are just that special.

One aspect of his game I suspect will come around at some point is his power. While it has yet to translate in game action, Gose shows impressive raw pop. He has a lot to learn about being a complete pro ballplayer, particularly at the plate, but the total package could be phenomenal if molded successfully.

Frankie Piliere spent the last three seasons working as a scout, most recently in the professional scouting department for the Texas Rangers in 2009. He now serves as the National Baseball Analyst here at FanHouse.