Astros Once Again Strongly Urged to Find Trade Partner for Star Slugger

The Houston Astros have been rumored all offseason long to be involved in the trade market for some of their biggest stars, and it seems time is running out.

With a legitimate infield logjam, the idea of trading Isaac Paredes -- despite how well he played last season when he was healthy -- has been the most common discussion point. General manager Dana Brown has seemed to indicate that talks have slowed since the start of spring training, however there is still time left.

For as great as Paredes was in 2025, he is by far the most logical candidate to be dealt between a lack of a spot for him and his perceived value in the trade market for the Astros.

During a discussion on Foul Territory, prominent baseball insider Ken Rosenthal urged Houston to figure out a way to make something happen here as the clock continues to tick.

Rosenthal Says Astros Must Find Way to Trade Paredes

"It's a logjam that needs to be resolved."

The Astros need to find a way to trade Isaac Paredes, says @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/fRLqDCU74B
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 2, 2026

"The answer is a resounding yes," Rosenthal said while answering whether or not Houston should still be trying to trade Paredes for an outfielder. "The Astros have an imbalance. They have too many players in their infield, not enough players in their outfield...Where is the room for Isaac Paredes? There is no room...It's a logjam that needs to be resolved."

As Rosenthal pointed out, the infield is largely locked in barring injury with Christian Walker at first, Jose Altuve at second, Jeremy Peña at shortstop and Carlos Correa taking over third base full time. Barring some creative configuring or eating a terrible contract in Walker, there just is not a spot for the slugger.

Rumors with the Boston Red Sox -- who have an outfield surplus -- made the most sense before their Caleb Durbin trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, but Paredes is still a player who opposing teams would covet.

Astros Have Little Leverage in Paredes Talks

Isaac Paredes of Houston Astros sits in dugou — Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Unfortunately for Houston, if they are determined to trade Paredes, they may not get the kind of return they feel is fair for a player of his caliber. Despite slashing .254/.352/.458 with 20 home runs and 53 RBI to account for a 2.3 bWAR in just 102 games, opposing teams clearly recognize the bind the Astros are in.

If the offers coming back are so unbelievably egregious that it's worth considering just keeping him and dealing with the logjam then so be it, but Houston absolutely should be able to find a suitor who wants Paredes badly enough to fork over the prospects.

Of course the ideal outcome is acquiring an outfielder, but the longer this goes on, the less likely a deal becomes before the season starts. Brown has some work to do if he is going to find a suitor, and he had better do it quickly.

Should he be unable to, it might just haunt the Astros depth in other areas both in 2026 and beyond as the farm system remains a bit barren.