5 Left-Handed Bats For the Astros To Target

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The Astros enter trade deadline season with some glaring needs: a starting pitcher to alleviate the workload on an injured and young staff being carried by rookies, potentially a bullpen arm to limit the work of their top relievers (Maton, Neris, Abreu and Pressly), and a left-handed bat that can preferably play left field.

Dana Brown had previously indicated a left-handed bat would be their priority at the deadline, but he has now pivoted to landing a starting pitcher, preferably one with team control, as priority number one.

But they haven't ruled out offense entirely. While getting a healthy Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve back changes everything, both have been banged up all year. It's no guarantee they hold on to the finish line. And while José Abreu was resurgent and the Abreu of old in June, he did regress again before the deadline. If those three stay healthy and perform to their standards the rest of the season, they may not need a bat after all.

But if the Astros end up getting outbid for a starter due to their diminished farm system and pivot back to a bat, or if they simply go all-in and acquire both, these are the five left-handed bats the Astros should target at the trade deadline.

Jeff McNeil could be an Astros target

The Mets may not be likely to put the reigning NL batting champ on the trade market, especially after giving him a 4-year, $50 million extension this offseason, but McNeil's 2023 season has been a nightmare followup to 2022. The same can be said for the team that employs him.

Pete Alonso isn't going anywhere. Nor are Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, Francisco Alvarez, Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty. The Mets still have a great core moving forward, and could load up even further if they unload names like Tommy Pham and Jeff McNeil.

If the Mets come out of the break slow, they may be very inclined to sell.

McNeil would be an interesting target. He's hitting only .253 with a .659 OPS this year, but he's still a solid, if unspectacular, defender at 2B and in the corner outfield spots. He's only 31, and while his contact quality hasn't been great, it's often the under the radar moves that move the needle in October (Daniel Hudson in Washington, Steve Pearce in Boston).

His versatility would go a long way to keeping everybody fresh, and if the price isn't obscene, he could be a prime "buy low" option in hopes that a change of scenery and deeper lineup (assuming health) gets him back to normal production.

Seattle Mariners v San Francisco Giants / Lachlan Cunningham/GettyImages

If the Giants sell, the Astros should target Joc Pederson or Michael Conforto.

These names are entirely dependent on what the Giants do. They currently hold the third-spot in the NL Wild Card, with the Brewers and red-hot Phillies right on their heels. Rarely do you see a team sell when in playoff contention.

Their schedule is somewhat favorable leading up to the deadline, with six of 10 scheduled for the Pirates and Nationals. They''ll travel to Cincinnati for a four-game stands against the Reds in between.

If they let down against the Pirates and the Reds stay red-hot, could they find themselves looking to get something out of Joc Pederson or Michael Conforto before their contracts are up.

Pederson is hitting .243 with an .802 OPS. Conforto is hitting .245 with a .745 OPS. Both are much better against righties than lefties. Pederson has a .250 average with an .829 OPS against righties while Conforto hits .245 with a .783 OPS with a righty on the hill.

The Astros could easily platoon left field with one of these two against a righty and, though he has been better against righties than lefties this year, Chas McCormick against lefties. Dusty has continued to line Chas up against lefties, so we could see something similar in October.

Pederson's antagonist personality is built for the backlash the Astros get each night, especially in the playoffs. If he becomes available, Dana Brown needs to find a way to land him.

Oakland Athletics v Boston Red Sox / Paul Rutherford/GettyImages

Seth Brown could be a cheap player to pair with a new starter.

If the Astros decide to go for a starter and bat, they may not have enough depth to land a top talent at the plate and on the hill. If they were to acquire a Stroman, Giolito or Rodriguez, an under-the-radar acquisition like Seth Brown could go a long way.

The A's are going nowhere fast (well, Las Vegas notwithstanding). They've begun calling up their top prospects to look further toward the future. Does Seth Brown have one in Oakland? Unlikely.

Last year Brown hit .230 with 25 bombs and a .749 OPS. This year his numbers have fallen to .201 with a .650 OPS.

He's still been successful against righties, however, which is one of Houston's biggest needs. He's hitting .242 with a .761 OPS. All eight of his home runs are against righties. If the opponents send out a lefty, he's a non-option. Brown is hitting .032 with a .199 OPS against lefties.

He'd be strictly a platoon, but the Astros don't struggle against lefties. They need help against right-handed arms, and Brown could be a cheap option to do just that.

Oakland Athletics v Toronto Blue Jays / Andrew Lahodynskyj/GettyImages

Cavan Biggio may also be a cheap target for Houston.

Ignore the last name on the back of his jersey for just a second. Whether he is Craig's son or not, can Cavan help the Astros?

When Dana Brown was with the Blue Jays, he drafted Biggio. Cavan had a solid career in the minors, raking in AAA prior to his call-up.

In his first two seasons in the bigs (159 total games, Biggio hit .240 with a .798 OPS. His 33 doubles and 24 home runs boosted the OPS.

Does Brown still like what he saw pre-draft enough to target Biggio again?

Over the last three seasons, he has fallen out of Toronto as their lineup gets deeper and his at-bats have dwindled. Biggio is desperate for a change of scenery. Where better could he go than a city where his name holds borderline iconic status.

The Astros are desperate for bench depth. Even if Biggio doesn't regain his form from 2019-2020, he would be an upgrade over some of the Astros current infield options on the 40-man roster. But what if he does?

He had a brutal start to the season, but was great in May and June, hitting .250 with a .797 OPS. The Biggio of old is still in there. If a new home helps him tap into that, the Astros may be able to steal another elite utility option in Cavan Biggio.

Again, not a massive needle mover, but one that would allow Altuve to stay fresh down the home stretch, as well as some off days for Alex Bregman. The asking price probably won't be too high. The Astros should take a look at Cavan Biggio.

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