Brice Matthews' unexpected performance may have shifted Astros trade deadline plans

The Houston Astros have kept winning despite having to navigate through an abundance of injuries to their position players thanks to some of the team’s role players. And while we all kind of figured that would be unsustainable, we’re now going to see what the team is made of after Isaac Paredes’ unfortunate injury.

Although it'll be tough (or near impossible) for the Astros to replace Paredes’ production this year, rookie Brice Matthews has been doing his part to make sure the Astros’ don’t need to overpay for a Parades replacement at the deadline. 

Brice Matthews' unexpected performance may have shifted Astros trade deadline plans 

It’s tough to overstate how much Parades has meant to the Astros this year. He was hitting .259 prior to getting hurt with 19 home runs, and has been one of the team’s top producers in a year where they haven’t gotten next to nothing from Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker. 

While there’s never a good time for a player of Parades’ caliber to get hurt, the Astros still have some time to figure out if this injury will impact their approach at the trade deadline (if at all). 

Prior to Parades getting hurt, the Astros’ main focus was getting a left-handed hitter who could play second base along with a starting pitcher. If Brice Matthews has anything to say with it, not much will change in regard to that approach.  

Matthews, the Astros’ No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has been on a heater since getting called up, having mashed three home runs in his first six games. While six of his seven appearances with the Astros have come at second base, he can easily slide over the hot corner and provide some serviceable defense there while also having some pop at the plate.  

The Astros called up Shay Whitcomb and Jon Singleton in the wake of Parades’ injury, but neither of them are long-term pieces, nor the kind of players you’d want in the lineup down the stretch run. Having Matthews slide into an everyday role would be the best of both worlds, since he’d be able to get used to MLB while also providing the team with some production in the middle of the lineup. 

While the Astros injury pandemic was annoying earlier in the year, it’s gotten to a point now where it’s impacting their ability to put a complete team on the field and have a complete picture of what they should do at the trade deadline. 

No one knows how long Paredes will be out for, though manager Joe Espada’s wording makes it seem like it’s the kind of thing that will keep him out for at least a month, if not longer. 

Although it’s pretty much a guarantee that Houston’s roster will look pretty different whenever Paredes makes his return, Matthews is doing his part to limit the amount of changes. 

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