Offseason Astros trade predictions feature Ryan Pressly, Chas McCormick plus targets

The Houston Astros might have won the AL West division in 2024, but many fans would not call that a successful season. One of the weakest divisions in baseball featured an all-too-characteristic Seattle Mariners collapse to open the door for the Astros before they were bounced from the playoffs in two games against the Detroit Tigers.

General manager Dana Brown is working with an aging roster and fans would probably agree he needs to trade some expendable veteran assets in order to help turn the ship around.

It seems MLBTradeRumors.com is already off to a fast start in predicting who the Astros could move and acquire this offseason via trade, as two potential departing candidates and three possible targets have emerged on their recent list.

In terms of who could be on the move, MLBTR mentions both reliever Ryan Pressly and outfielder Chas McCormick as worthwhile names. Pressly's vesting option pays him $14 million for 2025 while McCormick has an estimated $4.8 million salary in his second year of arbitration for 2025. If Houston can clear around $18 million in payroll focusing on areas of the roster that can be addressed for less, that would be massive.

However, both would represent the Astros selling low, which might not be in their best interest if they want a favorable return. If they want to shed the money, though, this is probably the best way to get it done. Get a couple of mid-tier prospects in return and free up spending to address the roster elsewhere since they managed to get by in 2024 with Pressly underperforming and McCormick missing a lot of time due to injury.

As for trade targets, MLBTR lists Yandy Diaz, Ryan Mountcastle and Josh Naylor as options. Those are all primarily first base options that would serve as a massive upgrade for Houston after they got next to no production out of the position after signing Jose Abreu.

Diaz was reportedly a trade target of Houston's at this year's deadline, but a deal never materialized. But now, with the Rays and Orioles in need of adjustments after they fell short in 2024, that opens a ton of possibilities this offseason.

Even the Guardians, who made an ALCS run, will be looking to get creative. Naylor is in his final year of arbitration eligibility and is projected to make around $15 million, which feels too rich for Cleveland's blood. They Guards can save a lot of they trade Naylor and shift Jhonkensy Noel to first base.

The Astros are at a bit of an advantage, too, with this year's free agency class being top heavy. They can ignore the obvious high-priced options that they were never going to target anyway while getting a head start on a robust trade market.