Astros facing mounting pressure to solve biggest roster headache before Opening Day

Less than a month remains before Opening Day, and the roster headache the Houston Astros had at the start of the offseason is still the one they are trying to sort out during spring training. Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker remain on the roster, and to everyone except Dana Brown, the situation seems to be barreling toward some drama unfolding behind the scenes.

The latest to voice their concern was The Athletic's (subscription required) Ken Rosenthal. Sure, Rosenthal, at this stage of his career, still gets plenty of scoops to maintain his status as one of the more reputable insiders in the game, but his attention has turned to taking advantage of an opportunity to dunk on a team/player when the moment calls for it.

Along those lines, Rosenthal pointed to the Astros while begging them to resolve the infield logjam they've had since bringing back Carlos Correa at the trade deadline last season. He's not wrong, but his latest does very little to move the conversation forward.

Rosenthal states that the talks with the Red Sox were the most serious with regard to the trade of Paredes, and there hasn't been much since. He suggests the Boston Red Sox are the team that still makes the most sense, but there's been no indication that talks between the two teams are active. The MLB insider also mentions the St. Louis Cardinals' outfield mix drawing interest from the Astros, but the Redbirds are rebuilding and they aren't a fit for Paredes.

Everyone knows the Astros are probably going to trade Isaac Paredes

Rosenthal's ramblings are a reminder of how the Astros' delay in resolving the logjam created the mess they're headed toward ahead of Opening Day. One of the first orders of business for the Astros should have been trading one of Paredes or Walker.

A trade of Paredes remains the likeliest scenario, but there don't appear to be any clear suitors at the moment. The Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates could still be options, but neither team is likely overly motivated to make a deal this soon before Opening Day.

Teams are going to call the Astros' bluff. Brown says there's a way that Walker and Paredes can co-exist, and Houston may be forced to show their hand. Until that happens, resolving the infield logjam remains in a strange holding pattern.