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Astros send questionable message in trading for Roberto Osuna

Roberto Osuna's suspension for violating the league's domestic violence policy ends on Friday. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP

I can only assume the Astros feel they're above criticism now that they've won the World Series, since they decided to add a player currently on MLB's longest-ever suspension for a domestic violence incident -- a player the Astros did not really need -- with Monday's trade for Roberto Osuna in exchange for three players. The baseball logic here is kind of irrelevant; the Astros made a clear and unequivocal statement that they value winning baseball games so much, they'll accept a marginal improvement to their bullpen even if it sends a terrible message about the impact of domestic violence.

Osuna was the Blue Jays' closer when he was arrested for a May 8 incident, the full details of which are still not public. He was put on administrative leave and later suspended 75 games by Major League Baseball for violating the league's domestic violence policy, a suspension that ends on Sunday, four days after his scheduled court date for the incident. He hasn't pitched since the incident but was effective prior to that date, as he has been since he joined the Blue Jays to start the 2015 season, with an above-average fastball/slider combination and excellent control.

This isn't a case of a team welcoming back -- or even just quietly tolerating -- a player it already had in the system who was suspended and is returning, working to rehabilitate him rather than releasing the player outright. The Astros chose to acquire this player, whose suspension is ongoing and who is awaiting his court date, which sends a message to all of their fans that they have no problem adding someone to their roster who allegedly assaulted a woman if they think it might help them win an extra game in October. Maybe some fans are OK with that; I wouldn't be.

The Blue Jays actually walk away with something more than just getting rid of Osuna, who does have two years of control remaining before free agency and would have been an extremely valuable player in the trade market if he hadn't been arrested or suspended. Ken Giles began the year as the Astros' closer but lost his job and then his roster spot after a rough stretch in which he got crushed in non-save situations, especially in games in which he worked with too much rest, giving up hard contact at the highest rate of his career. Some of that was bad luck, but some of it might have been from an irregular pitching schedule, and he's a good buy-low candidate who could become a closer again at some point for Toronto.

Right-hander David Paulino was suspended last year for a positive PED test, then had surgery in October to remove bone spurs from his elbow, then lost the past two-plus months to a shoulder injury that he still hasn't returned from (making three rehab stints but none since July 17). He throws very hard in short stints, but his stuff backed up when he tried to start, and his delivery is all bullpen.

Hector Perez has huge stuff with a fastball up to 96 as a starter, a power curve and a split-like change and a delivery he doesn't repeat very well, resulting in well-below-average command. However, he has cut his walk rate quite a bit this year, when he has mostly repeated high-A before a recent promotion to Double-A. He could be a No. 2 starter or a reliever, all depending on the delivery and his ability to throw more and better strikes. That's probably two big league relievers and a high-beta pitching prospect -- more than the Jays should have expected to get given Osuna's status.