Astros should swing for fences to fix glaring roster hole with trade for Red Sox star

Over the weekend, Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown talked again about just how badly the Astros need to target a lefty bat at the trade deadline. This has been painfully obvious for some time, but has been particularly pronounced while Yordan Alvarez has been out with a broken hand. For the most part, the potential trade targets experts have considered have been supporting cast types. However, the Astros need to think much bigger than that.

The Astros invested heavily this offseason in their roster. Reasonable people can disagree as to whether or not they invested in the right players, but there is no denying that they are pot committed to the guys they have and their five game lead in the AL West shows they did something right in building the roster they have.

With another deep playoff run very much possible in what is a weaker-than-usual American League, Houston needs to go for it and make a run at the Red Sox's Jarren Duran at the deadline.

Jarren Duran has the kind of upside the Astros need to target at the trade deadline

As of this moment, the Red Sox have a roster crunch in their outfield that is going to force some tough choices soon. They are loaded with young outfielders and not nearly enough roster spots to accommodate them even if you throw one of them in at DH everyday. Most observers think Boston will trade at least one outfielder at the deadline and Duran is a name the Astros should pursue.

First, he checks the lefty box. He also is having a somewhat down year which should keep the asking price down. Duran also has All-Star upside as he was a top eight MVP finisher last with the all-around tools teams dream about. A crazy athletic outfielder who bats from the left side and doesn't come with a hefty financial commitment in case things don't work out? Yes please.

The issue is whether or not the Red Sox make him available or if their asking price will be anywhere close to reasonable. If Boston prices him like a guy that has talent, but who has (mostly) fallen short of expectations and they need to get rid of to solve their roster issues, the Astros need to be involved. If they want a king's ransom and value him like a perennial MVP candidate, Houston should probably steer clear given their shallow minor league system.

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