One Astros' trade candidate to watch if early collapse takes wrecking ball to the roster

As the Houston Astros sputter, one has to start to wonder what the trade deadline will look like for a club that hasn't considered a rebuild for over a decade. It's not time to throw dirt on them yet. They started 2024 with a 12-24 record and then roared back to win the AL West, but given the incredible wave of injuries they've suffered so far, it's getting harder and harder to see them right the ship.

If Houston continues down this path, who could be the prime chip moved at the trade deadline? According to ESPN, it's Bryan Abreu who will be the Astro most likely on the move. The only problem is that it's nearly impossible to see anyone giving up anything of value for Abreu unless something drastic changes.

Bryan Abreu's status as a top Astros trade chip highlights a bleak future

One way or another, it's pretty much guaranteed that this year will be Abreu's last season in Houston. No one thought it would play out like this, though. Abreu entered the year with a 2.30 ERA over the last four seasons and led all relievers in strikeouts over that span. Taking over closer duties for the injured Josh Hader set the 29-year-old free-agent-to-be up for a huge payday in the offseason.

Instead, Abreu has made nine appearances and owns a 14.73 ERA. He's still striking out hitters, with 12 punchouts over 7 1/3 frames, but he's walking even more with 13 free passes thus far. In the rare instances when he is throwing strikes, they've been meatballs that get sent over the wall, as his egregious 4.91 HR/9 indicates.

Most concerning, Abreu opened the season with diminished velocity, and it still hasn't rebounded. Averaging 95.5 miles per hour on his heater, he's lost over one-and-a-half miles per hour from the 97.2 miles per hour he posted last year.

The Astros used to refer to Abreu as their "second closer," but now, it would be hard to trust him in mop-up duty. If he doesn't turn this around soon, it will be a hard sell to move him at the deadline. If a desperate Dana Brown realizes that, regardless of his job security, selling is the best path forward at the trade deadline, then Abreu is emblematic of the problem Houston will have.

The Astros best trade chips to acquire young talent have all taken significant hits in value. Offseason darling Isaac Paredes is struggling. Jake Meyer's 2025 looks more and more like a flash in the pan, and yet another injury tanks his value even further. Speaking of injuries, Jeremy Peña and Hunter Brown would be the biggest pieces Houston could move, but they'll need to get healthy.

Right now, the Astros just seem stuck, and Abreu scuffling is just the personification of where the club stands. The window is closing, but now, the chips that they have to inject young talent into their barren farm system are all falling apart. If something doesn't change soon, the future is going to look incredibly dark.

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