Astros insider rips deadline disaster that could doom Jesús Sánchez

There's no question that the Houston Astros acted with urgency ahead of the MLB trade deadline, adding Carlos Correa, Ramon Urias, and Jesús Sánchez to reshape the look of their offense. But as the Astros have collapsed during the final month of the regular season and suddenly find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoff race, one deadline move in particular is starting to be second-guessed.

Chandler Rome of The Athletic took a spotlight to the struggles Sánchez faced upon his arrival in Houston. Flashing signs of being a promising slugger during his time with the Miami Marlins, and being under control through the 2027 season, it made sense why the Astros took a gamble on the 27-year-old outfielder.

Jesús Sánchez suddenly on shaky ground after Astros’ deadline collapse

But as the Astros looked to right the ship while playing the Athletics on Tuesday, Sánchez was a fixture on the bench. The Astros were facing a left-handed starting pitcher, and Sánchez has essentially served as a platoon player in right field since the trade. However, it's his struggles against right-handed hitters that has Rome thinking that the Astros may be willing to move on from the veteran outfielder this offseason.

Through 133 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers since the deadline, Sánchez is slashing .198/.271/.331 with a wRC+ of 69 and only 3 home runs. It's not exactly the balance the Astros hoped they would be getting after making the trade with the Marlins.

Sánchez is eligible for arbitration this offseason, and for an Astros team that hasn't exactly been shy about their desire to save a dollar when they can, it feels like they will be willing to non-tender their deadline arrival. A scenario that makes sense when you consider the likelihood of the Astros wanting to hide Jose Altuve in left field while Cam Smith returns to being the permanent right fielder and Yordan Álvarez serving as the team's designated hitter.

It was a flashy deadline for the Astros, but as their season quickly spiraled out of control at the end, it's fair to suggest that Dana Brown's urgency lacked logic.

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