5 trade targets that would be great for Astros if they weren't on teams that hated them

Dana Brown is playing with his cards up. The whole world knows the Houston Astros want a left-handed bat for the outfield, and they certainly wouldn’t turn down a reliever or two and a starter if the right players become available. They are buying, no question about it. The players who can help the Astros actually exist, and there are deals to be made. Only they happen to be players who are on teams that might be a bit reticent to deal with the Astros.

The Yankees, Rangers, and Mariners are all buying this summer, at least as of now, so there's no real fantasy to build around them. But the Red Sox may be a different story. It’s hard to say for certain because they went into the break on a nine-game winning streak to put them right in the thick of things, but if they decide to sell, they have a one-stop shop for the Astros.

Even with this, maybe they do look to subtract players who won’t be around next year, which still looks appealing to an Astros team that actually has a worse record. Add in a couple of other teams who might not love the Astros, but might have useful parts and, well, you’ve got yourself a conundrum.

Here are some trade targets that would be great for the Astros if they were actually available to them

Sonny Gray

Gray will be a free agent after the season, and he’s said he’d be open to waiving his no-trade clause. Boston has quietly looked like the Astros’ best fit for pitching depth in the past. He's having a great season for the Red Sox and would fit in any contender's rotation with the ability to actually pitch in a playoff series.

Aroldis Chapman

Another elite lefty would also solve their bullpen issues better than basically anyone on the board. This was well before their hot stretch, but reports put his odds of being traded at higher than 90 percent. While he hasn't been quite as good this year, he's still a dominant late-inning reliever, and every team can use that.

Even if they’re contending, do they see themselves as a middling team that needs to move off of pending free agents? It’s hard to say, but if so, Gray and Chapman make sense. 

Jarren Duran

The one Red Sox player who isn’t a pending free agent who could make sense is Duran. He solves the outfield problem, and outside evaluators think it makes a ton of sense. Why would the Red Sox move an outfielder under team control as they’re surging? He’s hitting .194/.259/.350 this year. Why would a team like the Astros want him? He hit .276/.339/.471 the last three years combined. It’s an enigma, but if the Red Sox are selling, that’s a quick and easy stop for them.

Kirby Yates

Yates is having a bounce-back year in Anaheim and has emerged as one of the most likely relievers to be dealt by August 3. He’s cheap, he’ll be a free agent, and he looks like he’d fix the righty-reliever issue immediately upon arrival. He can handle middle innings or late innings, so there's versatility. But he also plays for an AL West rival that’s been on the wrong end of this rivalry for a long time now.

Jeff McNeil

The A's traded for McNeil to play second for them in 2026, but he can certainly play outfield. He hasn’t had a good season, but he did put up a 110 OPS+ last year and hasn’t been below 97 since 2021. He has a team option for 2027, too, so if he plays well, it would work. Of course, do the A’s want to trade with the Astros? They probably would, but you never know. 

That’s five real options on three teams that don’t like Houston. Maybe a deal gets done, maybe it doesn’t, but it certainly won’t be without a little bitterness. The players are sitting right there, but it’s possible the grudges are doing too much work. 

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