5 Astros who will be off the 40-man roster by the trade deadline

While the Houston Astros are leading the American League West, their roster is still in flux largely due to injury and bouts of ineffectiveness. That could change at the trade deadline, as all signs point towards Houston being aggressive in their trade market and their prospect promotions.

With that in mind, here are five Astros players who could be on the chopping block with the trade deadline approaching.

5 Astros who will be off the 40-man roster by the trade deadline

OF Taylor Trammell 

The Astros acquired Trammell from the Yanks in the offseason so he could serve as a left-handed depth option in the team’s minor league system, and he made his long-awaited debut at the end of June when the Astros activated him from the 10-day injured list after he sustained calf injury. 

He may not be on the roster for much longer. While he recorded his first hit with the Astros on Monday with an opposite-field, three-run home run, he likely doesn’t have a place on the roster when the Astros’ outfield is at full health.

Not only are Chas McCormick, Jacob Melton, Zach Dezenzo and Yordan Alvarez all currently on the 10-day injured list and could return at some point over the next month, but the Astros could also look to upgrade their outfield at the deadline. 

But regardless of what they do at the deadline, the Astros are going to add reinforcements to their outfield, which could leave Trammell, who is out of options, as the odd man out. 

INF Zack Short

The Astros selected Short to their 40-man roster a week ago when they placed Luis Guillorme on the 10-day injured list, making him the backup to the backup, which doesn’t bode well for his long-term status on the roster.

After spending the first three years of his MLB career with the Tigers, Short bounced around to three different teams last year before joining the Astros in the offseason on a minor league deal. 

While Short has gone for 4-for-9 in six games with the Astros, he’s a career .172 hitter, so it only seems like a matter of time until it all falls apart for the 30-year-old. 

He’s a solid depth option, but you don’t want him getting everyday at-bats for your team. He, like Trammell, is out of options.

RHP Kaleb Ort

Last year, Ort had a 2.55 ERA in 24 2/3 innings with the Astros. This year, he has a 5.84 ERA across that same amount of innings, which should bring about the end of his time with the team. 

While most of the Astros focus will be on upgrading their lineup at the trade deadline, they also need some help in their bullpen depth. Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, Bryan King and Bennett Sousa have all been anywhere from good-to-great for the Astros this year, but they still need one more high-leverage arm if they want to be true contenders. 

The Astros have had to rely on Ort too much this year, and the deadline should bring about his time on the roster. 

2B Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers is currently on the 10-day injured list after injuring himself on a swing, which is why the Astros have had to move Jose Altuve back to second base after playing him in left field at the start of the year. 

As mentioned above, the Astros are likely going to be targeting a left-handed hitting bat this deadline, which means that the right-handed hitting Rodgers could end up being the odd man out. 

He only hit .191 in 43 games this year with the Astros, and is out of options. He hasn’t appeared as a position other than second base since 2021, so he doesn’t have the positional versatility that the Astros value in their bench players. 

The Astros took a swing on Rodgers, and it’s looking more and more like a swing and miss. 

RHP Nick Robertson

The lone minor league player on this list, Robertson hasn’t appeared in a game for the Astros since the team acquired him from the Blue Jays at the beginning of April. 

Robertson appeared in 35 2/3 innings for four different teams across his MLB career and boasts some interesting peripherals, but he could end up being a casualty of the roster crunch. 

Robertston’s the only pitcher on Houston’s 40-man roster who hasn’t appeared in MLB this year, so the Astros may have already tipped their hand about how they feel about Roberston. If the Astros acquire any pitchers at the trade deadline, it could come at the expense of Robertson.

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