Astros Named Team Most Likely to Shake Up the MLB Trade Deadline

The Houston Astros have been one of the most polarizing teams in Major League Baseball for almost a decade now. Whether fans remember them for their recent dynasty or the cheating scandal, it's hard to deny that the Astros have been one of the most successful teams in recent memory.

That being said, it's the former dynasty that could change the entire landscape of the MLB in 2026, specifically at this year's trade deadline. Houston trails close behind in the AL West division, four games back of first place, yet holds a 35-41 record.

Astros Deemed Wild Card Team in Trade Deadline Talks

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (3) celebrates his home run in the dugout with teammates. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

New York Post's Joel Sherman joined MLB Network to discuss the upcoming trade deadline. While still over a month out, it's the games for the rest of June and July that set the tone of the deadline itself. Right now, the Astros are one of the biggest wild cards.

Should Houston decide to be sellers at the deadline this season, Sherman believes the players who could get moved would be significant to who becomes legit contenders in the latter months of the 2026 campaign.

"By far, not close, it's the Astros," Sherman said. "They have an owner in Jim Crane who said a couple of years ago that 'the window never closes on us'; he does not ever want to become a seller."

"The question that they'll have to ask over the coming weeks is 'do we try to sell to create another tenure window like that?"

Several Astros players are still under contract for multiple years, meaning that the front office doesn't have to trade them if the package isn't perfect. But players like Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes, given their strength at the plate, will likely be the biggest names to follow as the season continues.

Players like Hunter Brown, Josh Hader, and Yordan Alvarez feel off-limits, primarily the first two named. Brown is under control until 2028, but with how well he's pitched recently, he could be someone's target. Just because he's a target, though, doesn't mean it'll be a bullseye.

Similarly, Hader is signed with the Astros through 2028. If Houston continues to hold its placement in the standings as the months continue, Hader will likely remain an Astro. But, there is a world where a major fall off increases the likelihood of his trade conversations.

For right now, the AL West division is still within reach, but keep an eye on what this franchise does from now til next month, productivity-wise, and then revisit the conversation.

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