Astros appear unlikely to make another late August trade

With the current state of the roster, the Astros appear unlikely to make a trade by August 31st.

Barring an unforeseen development, the Astros are likely to stand pat with their current 40-man roster. With a 81-51 record with exactly 30 games to play and improving health at key positions, it is not difficult to see why that would be the case.

Unlike last season when the Astros acquired Justin Verlander with seconds to spare, there doesn’t seem to be much of a need to push for a trade this August. As general manager Jeff Luhnow notes in an article by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, there simply isn’t an obvious upgrade for the roster.

"“Last year at this time, there was a clear opportunity to improve the team by bringing in an elite starting pitcher,” he said. “There’s no clear missing piece on this team this year."

If there were any needs to address, the Astros probably did what they desired before the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline. The bullpen was fortified with various acquisitions, albeit one addition remains quite controversial. While the lineup did struggle in late July into August, the root cause were injuries to Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer. Not much you can do there besides biding your time until injuries are healed.

The starting rotation is likely without Lance McCullers for the rest of the season, yet only 30 games remain. The Astros shouldn’t have a difficult time finding a fifth starter to cover for McCullers while the team transitions him into a relief role to finish the season. Framber Valdez and Josh James are two names to watch. Honestly, keep an eye on the September call-ups. Heck, I would even consider using the “bullpen day” strategy with McCullers, if healthy, starting a game, but only pitching in an inning or two.

At the same time, Luhnow is also quoted in McTaggart’s article that the front office is still open to improving the roster if a clear upgrade is suddenly possible.

"It doesn’t mean there’s not a potential move out there that could happen in the next few days that could upgrade our team. I’ll be satisfied if we don’t do anything, but it doesn’t mean we don’t continue to look for things."

When looking from position to position, I just don’t see where the Astros have a glaring need. The emergence of Tyler White and Tony Kemp have alleviated concern at first base and outfield. Jake Marisnick was starting to turn around his season before his recent injury. Brian McCann is close to a return while Max Stassi and Martin Maldonado have filled in admirably in his absence. Chris Devenski should strengthen the bullpen. Second base, shortstop, and third base are obviously taken. Springer is the team’s best outfielder and I highly doubt there is clear upgrade over Josh Reddick readily available on the trade block. Even without McCullers, the starting rotation is one of the best in baseball. If you were to dig deeper, maybe a left-handed reliever? Another veteran outfielder?

If the Astros qualify for the postseason, there is also going to be a roster crunch. Remember though that any trade must take place by August 31st for a potential addition to be postseason eligible. Regardless, there will be some talented players left off a playoff roster. It is again easy to see why Houston would stand pat as August 31st approaches.