Astros Celebrate Decade of Memories from Arguably Best Trade in Team History

Looking back at the trade deadline a decade ago, specifically Aug. 1, 2016, the Houston Astros made one of the best moves that their organization could have made.

In fact, the Astros still reap the benefits of that trade, which landed them a 19-year-old kid named Yordan Alvarez.

Alvarez had just been signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers a few weeks prior out of Cuba for $2 million. The Dodgers then traded him to the Astros in exchange for relief pitcher Josh Fields.

Despite posting a pair of sub-3.00 ERA seasons with the Dodgers, he was designated for assignment in March of 2019 and never pitched in the Majors again.

Meanwhile, Alvarez is the clear favorite for American League MVP this season as he is in the running for the Triple Crown and has led the Astros to the top of the AL West. There isn't a person with access to the internet who doesn't know of him, as he has emerged as the best hitter in the game, and those inside the organization might as well call Aug. 1 "Yordan Alvarez Day."

August 1, 2026 vs. Texas Rangers

Alvarez points to the sky in an orange Astros jerse — Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) celebrates during the game between the Rangers and the Astros at Globe Life Field | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This season, the Astros were pinned up against their in-state and division rivals on their home turf as the pair battled for the series and No.1 spot in the division. On Saturday, Alvarez added another extra-base hit to his year and scored another run to further solidify his name at the top of the league's statistics.

After the Astros stole a close one against the Rangers Saturday evening, Alvarez led all AL-qualified hitters in:

Hits
Runs Scored
Home Runs
RBI
Batting Average (.324)
On-Base Percentage (.438, only player above .400)
Slugging Percentage (.641, by nearly 100 points)
OPS (1.079, 136 points higher than No.2)

So, the Astros received one of the most powerful bats in the game, while the Dodgers had Fields on their roster for two seasons after the deal was made. It's easy to see who won this one.

Yordan’s Journey Over the Last Decade

When Alvarez stepped into Houston's farm system, he had yet to see an at-bat in a professional setting, but it would be a short time before he saw the majors, as his debut came in June of 2019. Since then, he has posted a career batting average of .300 with an OPS of .978.

Despite not making an appearance until the first week of June, he still won the unanimous Rookie of the Year, and since then has been nominated to either the All-MLB First or Second teams five times to complement a World Series ring (2022) and a Silver Slugger.

Obviously, if Los Angeles had any idea what kind of hitter Alvarez was going to turn into, they would have never let him go. But they did, and the Astros have reaped the benefits ever since.

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