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Houston Astros: A Complete 2022 Trade Deadline Primer

By Matthew Creally |
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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they can use to get it, and an analysis of specific players they could acquire (even though this could all end up being outdated in a matter of hours).

Joe Mantiply
Joe Mantiply /

SECONDARY NEED: Left-Handed Reliever
OPTIONS: Joe Mantiply, Steven Okert, Andrew Chafin
CURRENT: None

With the acquisitions of Mancini and Vazquez, the Astros’ main focus should now be their relief corps. They do not have a single left-handed reliever on their roster, and their bullpen’s .206 average against versus left-handed hitters is tied for 2nd-best in MLB. They also have the best bullpen ERA in the league at 2.79. However, Mark Feinsand reported yesterday that they are seeking a left-handed reliever to compliment their righty-heavy bullpen, and while there are very few options that were established big-leaguers before this season, there are certainly quality players to be had.

The first is Joe Mantiply, who is one of the greatest success stories in baseball this year. The previously unheralded reliever hadn’t done much of anything in the majors before finding a home in Arizona during the Diamondbacks’ lost season of 2021. This year, he has emerged not only as their best reliever, but one of the best southpaws in the game, and with the Diamondbacks nowhere near contention yet again, he is a candidate to be on the move. He’s 31 and will be under team control until 2027, so his cost will be higher than that of a rental. However, it could be worth it for the first-time All-Star: his brilliant sinker/curveball combo have led him to a 2.35 ERA and 2.55 FIP in 38.1 innings. His 85-mph average exit velocity, 1.3% walk rate, and 2.52 Statcast xERA are also among the best figures in the league.

Another possible target is Miami’s Steven Okert, who is another underrated name that will also be under team control until 2027. Okert’s impressive 2.72 ERA and 11.4 K/9 are offset somewhat by a control issue; his 4.2 BB/9 figure is one of the worst in baseball. That is to be somewhat expected by a guy who throws sliders 70% of the time, however. Okert is still a valuable piece of the Marlins’ bullpen, as his expected batting average against is an impressive .182 and his xERA is 3.13 according to Statcast. This indicates that his 4.91 FIP isn’t as alarming as it normally would be, given the fact that he allows very little high-quality contact.

The Tigers’ Andrew Chafin would normally be the easiest of these options to acquire. He’s a pure rental and has a 2.53 ERA, 2.21 FIP, and 11 K/9 in 32 innings this year. However, he is unvaccinated against COVID-19 and had to miss a recent series in Toronto because of that. The reason this is of importance is that every current member of the Astros is vaccinated, and it’s possible that the front office wants that to remain the case. On the other hand, Chafin’s vaccination status could change in the event that the Astros have to face the Blue Jays in the postseason. Regardless, he has been one of the best left-handed relievers in the game this season, and he would be yet another dominant piece in an already elite bullpen.

Of all the trade possibilities for the Astros to pursue, acquiring a reliever would have the most complications in terms of the roster. Every single member of their bullpen has either been an established major leaguer for years, or is in the process of becoming one this year. If they do decide to get a left-handed reliever, Phil Maton is probably the easiest candidate to get cut as of now; his 5.11 FIP and 1.7 HR/9 are the worst on the staff by a considerable amount.

Michael A. Taylor
Michael A. Taylor /

TERTIARY NEED: Center fielder
OPTION: Michael A. Taylor
LOOKING TO REPLACE: Jake Meyers

Acquiring Mancini, whose secondary position is left field, partially takes care of this problem in that Chas McCormick can now get more reps in center field. McCormick has also proven in recent weeks that he’s a suitable replacement for Michael Brantley in left, but Jake Meyers has struggled mightily at the plate since returning from injury, leaving somewhat of a hole in center field. With Andrew Benintendi and David Peralta having been dealt to the Yankees and Rays respectively, the trade market for outfielders is slimmer than it was a week ago, but there could still be help on the way.

Meyers has seen his OPS+ on the season drop to 69, and the 26-year-old still has potential to be an impact player at the big-league level as he showed in 2021, but perhaps a reset in the minors would help him, just for the rest of 2022. One way the Astros can go about replacing him is by acquiring Michael A. Taylor from the Royals to be the everyday center fielder. This would not only give the Astros an extra man to only play McCormick against lefties if they want, but it also raises their incentive to keep Yordan Alvarez at DH and puts an established major leaguer in center.

Taylor is coming off an outstanding Gold Glove season, in which he recorded 15 outs above average in center field according to Statcast. He’s also having a career year at the plate, with a .278/.348/.394 batting line (110 OPS+). With just 14 extra base hits and 6 home runs, he doesn’t offer much in the way of power at the plate, but his high-contact game essentially makes him a more affordable version of Benintendi that happens to play center field instead of left. Taylor is making $4.5M this season and next, making him a possible option to flip to another team next year in the event that Meyers breaks out later on.

There is another center fielder that was recently taken off the trade market with the news that the Pirates were unlikely to move him, and that is Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds is a 5-star centerfielder with team control that would have cost the Astros some quality young players, and Pittsburgh is deciding to hold onto him for now. He may be worth pursuing when that changes, though.

It’s not even trade deadline day yet, but the acquisitions of Mancini and Vazquez have already made this a successful time of year for the Houston Astros. If they can plug their remaining holes tomorrow, however, their deadline will go from successful to a major home run. Either way, this team is just about ready to get locked and loaded for another championship run.

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