Astros insider gets ahead of Yordan Alvarez trade speculation with firm response

Yordan Alvarez's injury scare against the Chicago Cubs over the weekend could have been devastating for the Houston Astros. Mostly because if the Astros are going to turn their season around, they will need Alvarez healthy. Secondly, if the Astros don't turn their season around, Alvarez is going to be likely a trade candidate ahead of the MLB trade deadline later this summer.

With their sweep of the Cubs over the weekend and their combined no-hitter against the Texas Rangers on Monday, Houston has suddenly had life restored into their season. The Astros remain within shouting distance of first place in the American League West, and with the parity across the entire league, they remain in the Wild Card conversation.

It's no longer too early to have these conversations. With the calendar about to flip to June, Houston is going to have a decision to make. Sure, Dana Brown is the general manager, but the final say will be Jim Crane's. As long as Crane is involved, the idea of the Astros being buyers at the deadline can't be ruled out.

Astros have deadline decisions to make, but one already is clear

One idea that can probably be discarded is the idea of the Astros trading Alvarez. Even if Houston decides to sell at the deadline, there's an argument that having Alvarez at the center of their lineup is one of the primary reasons why they can have an expedited reset. In other words, why would you trade for the potential of having a boat when you already have the boat.

That's more or less the point The Athletic's Chandler Rome (subscription required) was trying to make when asked about a potential Alvarez trade ahead of the deadline. Rome contests that an in-season trade of Alvarez likely wouldn't top what the Astros received for Kyle Tucker, considering contending teams likely won't have a desire to trade pieces off their major league roster. Beyond that, he adds that trading Alvarez in favor of replenishing the farm isn't something that's aligned with Crane's approach.

Safe to say Astros fans can probably table the idea Alvarez being traded...for now. Depending on how Houston finishes the 2026 season and developments surrounding a potential work stoppage in 2027, the offseason could be a different story. But for what a trade would cost, it's hard to see any team meeting that asking price before the end of July.

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