Houston Astros Superstar Deemed Candidate To Be Traded
The struggles for the Houston Astros don't look to be turning around. Currently 12-22 and 5-5 in their last 10 games, the Astros find themselves in a quick seven-game deficit in the American League West.
Given what this core has done for much of the past decade, it's a fair assessment to assume they'll figure it out. However, nearly 35 games into the season, things have to change for the positive at some point.
With July approaching quicker than it might seem, Houston's front office has some tough decisions to make.
Will they move Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, or anyone else? If they don't plan on having a future with certain players, moving them now is the right thing to do. The Astros have multiple players who contending teams would love for a multitude of reasons.
Exploring the top 10 candidates to be moved during the trade deadline, Tim Kelly of Just Baseball listed Bregman as the No. 2 option. His No. 1 option, Luis Arraez, was traded to the San Diego Padres over the weekend.
Bregman, a first-round pick of Houston in 2015, is a two-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and Silver Slugger. He's been one of the key reasons for the success the franchise has found in recent seasons but will hit free agency at the end of the season.
Factor in that he's slashing .202/.284/.269 with just one home run, and moving the recently turned 30-year-old could be the right decision.
An Astros team without Bregman would be an interesting sight. He's one of the originals, but as the fan base saw with Carlos Correa and George Springer, business is business. If this team isn't going to be one that contends for a World Series and they don't want to pay him at the end of the year, it'd be a horrible decision by the front office to let him walk for nothing.
JON CONAHAN