Astros suddenly have new reason to rethink a potential Isaac Paredes trade

One of the biggest unresolved storylines for the Houston Astros this offseason was the organization attempting to trade one of their corner infielders. The motivation behind trading Christian Walker is clear-cut — he simply isn't living up to the price of his current contract. His financial stipulations are also a reason why he has been so difficult to move and Houston is still figuring out what to do with him in the meantime.

For Paredes, the situation is less straightforward. Unlike Walker, he had a great season for Houston, posting a 123 OPS+ with 20 home runs over 438 plate appearances. Despite his efforts, the Astros' reunion with Carlos Correa at third base means he's stuck playing first base or serving as a designated hitter. Neither outcome is particularly bad, but neither utilizes him to his fullest.

Recent negotiations with teams like the Red Sox have been unsuccessful but this might actually be the best outcome for Houston. The left side of the infield looks crowded on paper but given the Astros' injury luck and what has already happened, Paredes might have a chance to stick around.

Isaac Paredes could serve as an important hedge against Carlos Correa and Jeremy Peña

In preparation for the World Baseball Classic, the Dominican national team faced off against the Tigers in an exhibition game during which Jeremy Peña, their starting shortstop, fractured the tip of his right ring finger. Not only will this prevent him from competing in the tournament itself, it has drawn questions as to whether he'll even be ready for Opening Day.

Naturally, Correa is a candidate to return to his natural position, clearing the path at third base for Paredes in the interim. Correa himself is an injury risk, at least according to the companies that refused to insure his participation in the WBC, which could give Paredes a spot on the roster even after Peña returns to action.

Still, serving as a backup probably isn't what either party would consider a satisfying resolution to this predicament. The Astros are still actively looking for suitors but at the very least, this could give them more time to strike a deal.

Paredes is a solid contributor and at this point in his career, has earned the right to be an everyday player for a big league organization. Houston's infield logjam is a combination of unfortunate circumstances that he just so happens to be on the wrong end of. Ideally, the team is able to exchange him to bolster weaker parts of the roster but until then, he'll hold down the fort while Jeremy Peña recovers from his injury.