5 prospects the Astros need to consider using as trade bait this offseason

While Houston Astros fans eagerly await who the Astros will play in the ALDS, it is fair to wonder what the team's plans are going to be this offseason. This is going to be the first full offseason for general manager Dana Brown since he was hired late last offseason and most of the free agent market had been sorted out by the time he was on the job.

Much of the talk surrounding Houston's long-term plans have centered rightly around whether or not they will be able to work out extensions for key players like Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, Alex Bregman, and Jose Altuve. Those are important considerations, but Brown has also already shown a willing to trade for big talent after his move to acquire Justin Verlander at the trade deadline. This could mean that the front office could try to make moves on the trade market to improve the Astros' roster while crunching the numbers on contract extensions in the background.

Here are 5 prospects the Astros need to consider using as trade bait this offseason

The Astros' farm system isn't particularly deep these days especially after the Verlander trade, so Houston is going to have to pick their spots carefully with how they use their existing prospect capital. One shouldn't expect all of these guys to be traded this offseason, but they at least should be on the table in talks. There is some real talent on this list, so it isn't the worst outcome if Houston ends up hanging on to these guys as all have a chance of contributing in the big leagues.

Let's take a look at the prospects the Astros need to float in trade talks this offseason.