'Great Trade Idea' Has Astros Addressing Two Glaring Needs in Deal With Marlins

The Houston Astros have once again cemented their status as one of the best teams in baseball.

Entering play on July 11, they are 55-38, 7.0 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the American League West. Only the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers have more wins than them right now, tied with the Chicago Cubs for the third most victories in the MLB.

They have found a ton of success despite several injuries decimating their starting pitching depth and their lineup being without stars, designated hitter Yordan Alvarez since May 2 and shortstop Jeremy Pena, currently.

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With 97.2% odds of making the postseason and 8.1% odds of winning the World Series, the Astros are bona fide contenders who should aggressively pursue upgrades ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Even with their success, they have a few areas of the roster that could use some reinforcements.

The starting rotation needs help with Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco both out for the season with elbow injuries that required Tommy John surgery. Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and J.P. France all still remain sidelined as well.

With Jake Meyers now nursing an injury, outfield help becomes as big of a need along with a second baseman.

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Addressing all of those needs ahead of the deadline could be costly, but the Miami Marlins could provide an answer to fill two of them.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) recently did a mailbag answering questions about the MLB trade deadline.

One reader, Jon M., sent in a trade proposal between Houston and the Marlins that brings outfielder Jesus Sanchez and starting pitcher Edward Cabrera to the Astros in exchange for top prospect Brice Matthews, starting pitcher AJ Blubaugh and outfielder Jacob Melton.

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It was a proposal Bowden thought highly of.

“I think this one makes a lot of sense for both teams. Great trade idea!” The former MLB executive wrote.

That is about as big of a blockbuster Houston could make given the current state of their farm system. Unloading three of their best trade chips in one deal is something not everyone would agree with, but it would be tough to pass up on the opportunity to address so many holes.

Acquiring Sanchez would enable the Astros to push Jose Altuve back to second base more frequently. His defense is a major concern, but he has gotten hot at the plate.

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Cabrera would be a major addition to the starting rotation. Given Houston’s track record of getting the most out of pitchers, a stuff monster of his caliber could see his production take off with their help.

Even better, these are long-term pieces of the puzzle for the Astros.

Sanchez is under team control through 2027 and Cabrera isn’t a free agent until after the 2028 campaign.

For more Astros news, head over to Astros On SI.