Jeff Passan just made Astros controversial trade deadline strategy harder to ignore

“While I’m here, the window will always be open,” Houston Astros owner Jim Crane declared shortly before Opening Day amid questions of his club's true viability as contenders. A 12-20 start seemed to make that statement look foolish, especially after Crane refused to put his team in a position to exceed the Competitive Balance Tax threshold in search of upgrades last winter.

While things started getting better in May, it was a June surge fueled by some key injury returns that really made Crane's words seem like something other than delusion. And it's not just Crane. Dana Brown's lame duck status only has a happy ending if he can go out and acquire the difference makers that Houston needs to make it back to the postseason. Joe Espada's future is tied to his ability to lead the reinforced group that Brown provides him to a successful stretch run.

Are the Astros stuck inside a deluded echo chamber? Maybe, but as Jeff Passan points out, there is some logic to Houston aiming for a place in the October dance.

"Houston, Toronto, Baltimore and, of course, Detroit -- are close enough to a postseason berth to rationalize holding on to what they've got or even adding," Passan wrote, highlighting the jumbled nature of the American League wild card race. You can also add the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners to the mix, as well as teams that are currently projected to land playoff spots like the Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers.

The Astros might be justified in being trade deadline buyers, but it still doesn't mean it's the best course of action

Passan's words are telling. The phrase "rationalize holding on to what they've got" is easily glossed over, but is very important. That's not exactly an endorsement of buying, but rather an acknowledgement that they're close enough to stand pat and see where the chips ultimately fall as opposed to selling off assets.

That might feel like doing nothing, but in a way, it's doing everything at the same time. The Astros' farm system is bare, and despite the Lance McCullers Jr. trade, they still don't have much money to take on salary in order to save on prospect costs.

If they stand pat or only make minor moves, all of their best veteran trade chips, such as Jeremy Peña, Hunter Brown, Isaac Paredes, and others, are still under team control for at least one more year, allowing Houston to revisit selling and retooling/rebuilding in the offseason.

However, this brings about a question as to whether or not this Astros roster, as currently constructed, can reasonably be expected to make any real noise should they make the playoffs. Taking it a step further, is it really worth making the playoffs if you're just going to get bounced early? What does that actually accomplish?

Even if Houston buys, can it truly field a World Series-caliber contender with the ammunition it has to pursue upgrades? If not, why waste young assets to get sent packing in the early rounds of the postseason?

The Astros' season is full of catch-22s. The team has an MVP favorite anchoring its lineup and a Cy Young-caliber ace leading its rotation, yet it's still more likely that they miss the playoffs than make them. It's a situation where there are several answers, but each feels incomplete, making it all feel so open yet frustrating at the same time. The Astros will rationalize buying, and there is some logic there, but it likely won't get them much closer to their ultimate goal.

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