Insider hints Astros have quiet trade brewing fans didn’t see coming

The expectation remains that the trade market will be how the Houston Astros turn over their roster from a 2025 season that had a deflating end. While Christian Walker has been the logical trade candidate, but diminishing power and a bad contract with a limited no-trade clause could complicate matters for Dana Brown and Co.

If it's not Walker, The Athletic's Chandler Rome mentions that the Astros will find another infielder to trade as they look to clear the logjam that was created when Carlos Correa was brought back at the MLB trade deadline last season. Rome mentions that Walker is a candidate to be moved, but given the circumstances, a trade of Isaac Paredes or Jeremy Peña could be the pivot for the Astros' front office.

To be clear, Rome stresses that trading Peña isn't at the forefront of the front office's thinking this winter. If anything, the impression is that Peña remains at the center of the next core the Astros should build around.

Astros would love to trade Christian Walker, but may be forced to settle for selling high on Isaac Paredes.

Chances are that interested teams are going to call the Astros' bluff when it comes to a potential trade of Walker. It's obvious that he should be the one who they trade, but teams will be hesitant to take on that contract. Short of the Astros finding another bad contract that they could take on, they may be forced to hold onto the aging first baseman for one more season.

If that happens, as Rome maps out, there is a case that they should see high on Paredes. While Paredes has a swing made for Daikin Park, the Astros' payroll situation has them in a tight spot. Expected to make around $9MM next season, Paredes could be who the Astros shop and they likely would find a healthier market--considering he is coming off his second season as an American League All-Star.

The Astros, entering free agency, have less than $20MM in space to operate this offseason. It's a situation that begs creativity, and that could lead to Paredes' time in Houston being one-and-done.