Christian Walker's turnaround is quickly making this Astros veteran even more expendable

Christian Walker's hot start was unexpected, but not unfounded, given the concerted efforts he made to improve on last year's flop. Still, many were unconvinced and were waiting for the other shoe to drop for the Houston Astros' first baseman. That seemed to happen in mid-May, when the 35-year-old put up a 12-game stretch where he hit just .116/.191/.279.

Instead of unraveling, however, he rebounded over the last week. Walker has now hit .250/.333/.750 with four homers over his last six games since May 22. Slumps happen to everyone from time to time, and the quick return to productivity should have confidence that Walker is back rising.

Now, through 57 games, he's hitting .255/.330/.519 with 15 dingers. His 136 wRC+ would be a career-best mark should it hold through the rest of the season.

The greater plan for the Astros this season is very much up in the air. The pressing questions on folks' minds are whether or not the organization will tear it down at the trade deadline. Houston has been bailed out by mediocrity in the division and the American League as a whole. As we head into action on May 29, the Astros are just 2.5 games back of the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West.

Selling isn't a foregone conclusion. Still, the future doesn't exactly look bright. One way or another, Jim Crane will have to come to grips with the fact that his team's window of contention is closing.

And that brings us back to the offseason's hottest topic. The infield logjam has been resolved in the most unfortunate way due to Carlos Correa's season-ending ankle injury. That has given Isaac Paredes a home at third base, but Walker's rebound might still push the 27-year-old out the door.

Christian Walker's resurgence could push Astros to trade Isaac Paredes

At first glance, trading Paredes opens a big hole at third base. Admittedly, you'd be banking on an unknown taking over and thriving should Paredes be moved, which, if the Astros climb back into the race, would be less than ideal.

Braden Shewmake had become an instant phenomenon, and has come back down to earth pretty hard. The former Atlanta Braves top prospect has gone 2-for-25 over his last nine games. Still, this isn't about Shewmake as much as it's about Paredes, and the defensive upgrade that Shewmake could provide is meaningful.

Slashing .241/.333/.380 this year, Paredes has been a disappointment. However, he has enough of a track record for another team to believe he could bounce back. He comes with team control through the end of the 2027 season. Both of those factors could make him fetch a pretty penny.

Chances are, he'd generate a better return than Walker, who has age and a bloated contract working against him. The Astros aren't likely to extend Paredes, so waiting until next season to move him means accepting a reduced return.

There's a way in which the Astros could trade Paredes and not have to wave the white flag on the season. In this way, they could prune pieces that would maximize future value in the returns they stir up, while staying the course with the core of aging veterans.

A half-measure type of soft sell-off might cause more damage than either staying the course or fully embracing a rebuild. However, it might be the only way that Crane would allow Dana Brown to start gathering young talent.

Simply put, the Astros were expecting subpar performance from one of this duo, only that it was Walker that they expected to disappoint instead of Paredes. An underperforming Walker has no value, but Paredes still does, even if he's not up to expectations. Moving him now could still make sense and help them look to the future even if they're not quite ready to throw in the towel.

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