MLBTR’s team-by-team look at the upcoming deadline continues with the Astros. They're yet again in pole position in the AL West. Payroll might be an obstacle this summer, but they're in a familiar position as a deadline buyer.
Record: 45-33 (89.6% playoff probability, per FanGraphs)
Buy Mode
Potential needs: Left-handed bat, rotation depth, second base
Dana Brown gave us an easy starting point for the Astros' deadline outlook. Houston's general manager said over the weekend that the front office is already scouring the market for a left-handed hitter. That would have been easy enough to infer from a look at the roster. The Astros have the most right-handed lineup in recent history. They've given more than 2500 plate appearances to righty hitters this season (not including switch-hitters against lefty pitching). The second-place Angels are more than 400 PAs behind Houston, and no other team has even reached 1900. They're on pace to surpass the 2022 Blue Jays for the most plate appearances for right-handed batters in a season this century.
The flip side, of course, is that they've given a staggeringly low 175 plate appearances to pure left-handed hitters. Victor Caratini is their only switch-hitter of note. Yordan Alvarez should be back at some point, but he's coming up on two months since he fractured his right hand. Opponents have unsurprisingly thrown more right-handed pitchers at Houston than at any other. It hasn't stopped them from having success so far, but they'll obviously prefer to have more balance as they look ahead to potential playoff series.
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Unless they are willing to go over the tax, I dont see how they really address any of their needs with decent players.
I’m sure the Yankees would let them have DJL for pretty much free. Fits all their needs. Oh wait you said decent. My mistake…
Trade for Jarren Duran…. start with Arrighetti, B Mathews.
Give the Guardians a call. They should be in sell mode soon and have plenty of left handed bats. Carlos Santana is a cheap switch hitter and for the right deal I’m certain they’ll listen for offers on Kwan. Controllable and cheap and prime for departure from Cleveland
I bet they’d want Wilyer Abreu back
Technically true, but they did win the WS that year with Vazquez.
Ryan McMahon could solve LH bat/2B, while he is owed $32 million over the next 2 seasons the Rockies might kick in some cash for the salary relief.
Rotation depth can be trickier but maybe lightning strikes twice and they get a guy who is struggling (like Kikuchi last year) and watch him take off
Rocks don’t trade their mediocre players much.
IMO I don’t think they need to do anything for the rotation. They have 3 starting pitchers slated to make their return in a month or 2. Their AAA depth, despite always ranking near the bottom of farm systems, constantly pumps out serviceable pitchers. Gusto, Gordon and Walter, while not spectacular, have been steady enough to eat innings and keep them in games. It also helps that the Astros have the 2nd best bullpen in MLB.
Maybe they can trick Monfort into paying them to take McMahon like with arenado lol. Shouldn’t be too hard. Just need something shiny to distract him and maybe a hand puppet or two!
How do they keep winning with only two starting pitchers and no Yordan ?? And sub-subpar Christian Walker?? And smoked out Altuve?? I guess it’s the Brown/Framber/Peña/Meyers/Hader smoke and mirrors dog and pony show, coming soon to a venue near you.
Bingo.
Astros big acquisitions are on their own IL – Alvarez, Mcculler, Arighetti, Decenzo. A lefty PH makes sense if they can find a cheap bench threat (not Singleton!).
The fact that they have signed Singleton sends a signal that they are shopping for bargains. That rarely delivers results.
Bargain shopping got them the win tonight…a la COOPER HUMMEL
Not true Aus we needed upper minor league depth. Singleton is a back up to the back up to the back up plan. We can swing a player making 15-20M annually at the deadline and still wiggle under the line. Might cost us Garcia and Chas but Singleton isn’t an indication that we’re only able to look in the bargain bin.
Astros get :mitch keller (value30.9)
Pirates get :Brice Matthews (value15.3）Jacob Melton (value12.9)
Who says no?
Astros won’t want to add Keller’s salary.
I was surprised by “Houston finds itself in the familiar position of operating with a weak farm system.” While the system is weak now, the Astros have been a perrenial contender, built largely on their player development which has included Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez (drafted by the Dodgers but traded to the Stros two weeks later), Correa, Springer, Jose Pena, Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Blanco, McCullers, etc. Most teams would envy that player development.
Sometimes its just how baseball works. The top rated prospects don’t always shine at the top, and likewise overlooked prospects can sometimes be called up and immediately show results. Astros have been very fortunate in that regard. Their farm has been ranked one of the worst for many years now after Luhnow was gone, but somehow there is always a guy who shoves. That and they also trade well. I was adamant how the Astros were fleeced in the Kikuchi trade last year, but take a look at how the players they traded are performing. Wil Wagner has been abysmal this season and Loperfido hasn’t seen the big leagues in 2025. And I was also very skeptical on the Kyle Tucker trade, but low and behold Cam Smith is shining in RF and Paredes is their biggest bat after Pena.
Mike Tauchman: only making $1.95M this year and under control for another year. Solid corner OF option who also gets on base.
I don’t see the Cardinals having any significant motivation to trade Burleson. The Cardinals corner OF situation isn’t all that cluttered unless they’re committed to continuing to start Walker despite production well below replacement level.
Burleson is also in the mix for the Cardinals as injury/rest depth at 1B, plus the Cardinals have some PA’s available at DH both short-term (Herrera is currently out 2-6 weeks) and longer-term (if Herrera plays some games at catcher).
So Burleson fits fine with the Cardinals’ current roster construction, especially if he continues to produce at the plate close to as well as he has this season.