3 Astros prospects that could get called up and help Houston in the second half

Going into the trade deadline, there was a real chance that the Houston Astros weren't going to make the big splashy moves that the Rangers and Angels were making. General manager Dana Brown openly bemoaned the state of the trade market and even went so far as to say that Houston wasn't going to be in the market for a starting pitcher if prices stayed as high as they were.

However, Brown and co. managed to come through with arguably the biggest trade of the deadline when they were able to trade for old friend Justin Verlander in a blockbuster deal with the Mets. Just like that, the Astros' biggest area of need was addressed and Houston was in a really good spot heading into the second half.

Now that the trade deadline is done with, there are not going to be other realistic opportunities to add help to big league rosters beyond promoting prospects from the minor leagues. After the most recent CBA, the days of waiver wire trades in August are over. The Astros' system doesn't have a ton of depth now especially after the Verlander deal, but they do have some players that could help them in the second half of 2023.

Here are 3 Astros prospects that could get called up this season and help Houston down the stretch

This list of prospects that could help the Astros the rest of the season is not going to be exhaustive. In particular, picking relievers that could get a look in the big leagues (especially those that are not on the 40 man roster) is really tough and generally comes down to "who has looked good the last couple of weeks". However, there are a few names that are already pretty close to the big leagues and who, given the right situation, could help Houston down the stretch.

Let's take a look at a few prospects to keep an eye on as we enter the final stretch of the 2023 season.