Houston Astros: A Complete 2022 Trade Deadline Primer

A full and detailed look at what the Houston Astros should be looking to accomplish at the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline on August 2

The trade deadline is now less than 24 hours away and after a few days of virtually no meaningful rumors, the Houston Astros made their first big moves of the season on Monday afternoon, acquiring Trey Mancini and Christian Vazquez. With their primary needs at first base and catcher already taken care of, the work to be done for Tuesday just got a bit easier.

Nevertheless, on deadline eve, the Astros have a record of 67-36 (.650), good for 2nd-best in the AL and 3rd-best in MLB. They are just 2 games behind the Yankees, who are the current number one seed in the American League. They have already acquired impact bats and they have a surplus of starting pitching, which is nearly impossible to come by. With all of those facts in mind, the Astros are already one of the favorites to win the World Series as it is. They should continue to be aggressive buyers at this deadline, and another big trade or two might just push them over the top.

Even though moves have already been made, the next 24 hours are shaping up to be big for the Astros as an organization. As it stands, they have the best chance of any AL team to win the World Series (15.3% per Fangraphs); they’re simply too good not to gear up for another run at a title. In this piece, you’ll find a complete profile of what the Astros still need, what they can use to get it, and an analysis of specific players they could acquire (even though this could all end up being outdated in a matter of hours).