Three Players To Keep An Eye On As Trade Season Approaches And Two To Avoid

The Astros are currently 35-23, second in the AL West. They aren't too far off of last season's pace. With a win this afternoon, the Astros will be 36-23, matching their record through 59 games last season.

This year is a little different than last. At 36-23, they had an eight game lead in the division. This year they are 2.5 games back from the Texas rangers. With the Rangers bludgeoning their opponents, and with an Astros offense struggling what moves might they make?

Though their starting pitching depth has been tested and fans are clamoring for a third starter, their pitching staff is still elite. The Astros 3.24 ERA leads the MLB and is two-tenths of a run better than anybody else. Depth is nice to weather 162 regular season games, but do they need to mortgage prospects to address what is already a strength?

Meanwhile, their 4.59 runs per game are 13th-best in the MLB and their .717 team OPS is 20th in the league. They need some help on the offensive end.

Let's take a look at three names to monitor and two to avoid for the Astros as the trade deadline draws near.

Name to monitor: Brandon Drury

An inter-division trade in the AL West may not seem super likely, but it all depends what the Angels do with Shohei Ohtani. If the Angels currently 8.5 back in the AL West, fall farther off the pace and decide to shop their generational DH/pitcher, might they trade other desirable pieces?

If the Angels move Ohtani and reload, they may be two-three years from trying to contend again, Mike Trout or not. Enter Brandon Drury as a potential Astros target.

Drury is signed through next season, and if LA rebuilds, wouldn't make a ton of sense their. The utility man is hitting .254 this season with 10 home runs, an .800 OPS and a .115 OPS+. He predominately plays second and third base, but has made 69 starts at first base in his career.

Drury would provide some much-needed thump from the right side of the plate and could be an option at first if José Abreu doesn't find form. If the Angels decide to sell, Drury makes a ton of sense in Houston.

Name to avoid: Dylan Cease

Dylan Cease has been a name thrown about quite a bit in trade talks with how bad the White Sox have underachieved, but he would cost too much to justify the Astros trying to acquire him.

Cease would come with two additional years of team control, driving his price tag up. Many teams may line up for Cease.

That said, he hasn't been good this year. Cease is in the 37th percentile of xERA and 41st of xBA. The extreme amount of hard hits Cease has yielded doesn't give much hope he is close to finding form.

He may not be damaged goods permanently, but the Astros are trying to win now. They can't afford to wait and see if Cease finds form next year. He isn't a substantial enough upgrade right now over the pieces they have to justify draining an already depleted farm system.

Name to avoid: Eduardo Rodriguez

Eduardo Rodriguez is another name that will be thrown about quite a bit come deadline time. He is in the midst of a career-year for the Tigers, posting a a 2.13 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through 11 starts.

Even before the recent injury news, Rodriguez may be a cautionary tale. His performance this year is well outside of the norm in what is a contract season, and he has a very shaky playoff track record.

Now due to miss up to six weeks with a finger injury, the Astros should avoid a deal here with Detroit. Rodriguez will have many suitors at the deadline that need pitching help and Detroit will have a steep asking price. The Astros should spend elsewhere.

Name to monitor: Aaron Nola

Another former World Series foe finds his way onto the list. The Phillies somehow didn't come to terms with Aaron Nola on a contract extension before the season began, offering him a deal well below market value.

The Phillies, though a World Series team last season that made substantial upgrades in their bullpen and at shortstop with the signing of Trea Turner, are off to a dreadful start this season.

Show of hands, who had the Cincinnati Reds ahead of the Phillies in the standings over one-third of the way through the season? If the Phillies don't turn it around as the deadline looms, might they do the unthinkable and shop Nola? If so, the Astros should be the first to call. Maybe Dana Brown can even kickstart that conversation.

Nola's counting stats are bad this season with a 4.70 ERA. That said, it's a result of plenty of bad luck. His WHIP is only 1.13 and his xERA is 3.81. His hard-hit rate is in the 70th percentile, but it's his strikeout rate that has done a number on him. Last year Nola had a 29.1% strikeout rate. This year the number has dropped to 21.5%.

According to his Statcast arsenal, Nola's fastball lived higher and tighter in the zone last season. He's thrown it lower in the zone and more on the outside edge this season. This could be the reason he's not experienced the success he has in years passed.

Could Nola undergo a JV-esque shift this season and throw his fastball more up in the zone again to great success in Houston?

The Phillies appear to be going nowhere fast. Surely they won't let Nola walk for nothing. The Astros make total sense as a deadline rental. If they are to land another starter, Aaron Nola should be their target.