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Astros Rumors: Insider's trade targets for Houston hints at blockbuster deadline

Houston could be poised to be big players at the trade deadline despite the tough spot they are in this year.
Eric Cole
Eric Cole

Climbing Tal's Hill

Chicago White Sox v Seattle Mariners / Steph Chambers/GettyImages

For the Houston Astros to turn their season around at this point, it is going to require a lot of things to start going their way. Getting Kyle Tucker back from his shin injury would be a great start, but the Astros have guys who are underperforming who will need to step up, and others also on the shelf that need to get healthy (and soon).

Even if all of that happens, Houston is in quite the hole that they have dug for themselves at six games under .500 and nine games back in the division. With a huge chunk of their rotation hurt and the release of Jose Abreu, the Astros are going to have make some big moves at the trade deadline to put together an actual run.

Fortunately, that is precisely what a lot of outside observers are thinking will happen as MLB insider Jim Bowden is projecting that the Astros are going to be in on some big names at the deadline.

Jim Bowden thinks the Astros could go big at the trade deadline

If Bowden is right (which is a big "if"), the Astros list of potential trade targets is a who's who of the biggest names on the trade market, including Jesus Luzardo, Garrett Crochet, Tyler Anderson, Pete Alonso, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Paul Goldschmidt, among others. There wasn't an indication that any of these potential deals were more likely than others beyond the fact that Houston seems to be focused on pitching, but that is quite the list nonetheless.

Luzardo, Crochet, and Anderson all make a lot of sense as trade targets as they are some of the better starters available who would also come with team control beyond 2024. However, Alonso and Goldschmidt feel much more speculative as the Astros do have Joey Loperfido lurking in the minor leagues, and Dana Brown has already said that he is looking to acquire players who will be around for longer than just this season.

The real question is whether or not the Astros actually have the prospect capital to get these sorts of deals done as well as whether or not Houston should even bother being buyers this year.

Brown has remained adamant that he doesn't envision the Astros selling at the deadline, but making big deals when the 2024 season is feeling more and more like a lost cause may not be wise unless the players they get in return can help them in 2025 and beyond as well.

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Eric Cole

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.