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Houston Astros GM Dana Brown had a bold, but reasonable, strategy heading into the MLB trade deadline. Recent reports suggested that Houston's top executive was targeting an impact player, and primarily had his sights set on a left-handed hitter (preferably a second baseman) or a frontline starter. Unfortunately, the latest round of Astros injury updates may have torpedoed those plans.
Isaac Paredes pulled up lame on the base paths during the Astros' series over the weekend and it sounds as if Houston's third baseman will be out of action for quite some time. While the exact timeline has not been revealed, fans should brace for the worst.
In addition to Paredes hitting the IL with a hamstring injury, starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. is now out of action following his latest bout with an injury. The Astros right-hander is battling a blister, and while that may sound somewhat insignificant, it could keep McCullers on the shelf for several weeks.
Injuries to Isaac Paredes and Lance McCullers Jr. just torpedoed Astros' trade deadline strategy
Brown and Co. now have just over a week to figure out how they want to attack the July 31 deadline, and likely, do so while avoiding the luxury tax threshold. Heading into this week, it looked as if Brown would just need to supplement the rotation or the lack of a lefty bat. Now, the rotation's struggles seem even more pronounced, and the need for a left-handed hitter has turned into just a hitter — it doesn't matter what side of the plate he hits from.
This is the worst-case scenario for the Astros' front office. Fans have speculated for weeks that a player like Orioles' designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn or Diamondbacks' starter Merrill Kelly would cure all their ails. Now, those types of additions might not be enough to help Houston fend off the Seattle Mariners in the AL West.
Whatever template Brown was using and whichever front offices he'd contacted, it's time to scrap it and start from scratch. It just goes to show how quickly things can change at the trade deadline, and now Brown will have to do some mental gymnastics in order to set the Astros up for success over the second-half of the 2025 season.