4 players the Astros should have traded before their trade value tanked

The trade deadline has come and gone and it is fair to say that the Houston Astros were quite aggressive. Despite public attempts to convince the world that they weren't in the market for a starting pitcher because prices were terrible, Dana Brown went out and got the biggest name dealt at the deadline period when the Astros traded for Justin Verlander.

The timing of trades is often key and it is easy give up too quickly on a player. The Astros' own history of trades is littered with guys that Houston traded away only to see them blossom with their new organizations. However, it is also true that teams, including the Astros, can hang on to players for too long only to watch their trade value die on the vine.

Here are 4 players the Astros should have traded before their trade value tanked

Trading players always comes with some risk especially when that player has both talent and some team control. No one wants to be responsible for sending a guy that turns into a star somewhere else. However, it is important to recognize what types of players have more risk than others and to also realize when to move on from a player. Hindsight is often brutally 20/20 in these situations, but all four of the players on this list had some warning signs that could have been picked up by the Astros before things were too late.

Let's take a look at four Astros players that Houston held on to for too long and saw their trade value come crashing down.