Astros Reportedly Becoming More Likely to Trade Away At Least One Star

The Houston Astros could be on the cusp of making a deal involving one of their infielders.

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The Houston Astros entered the offseason clearly needing to change a couple of things up following their first missed playoff appearance in close to a decade, however what that was going to mean was anyone's guess.

With not many free agents outside of Framber Valdez -- who while still available is almost certainly not coming back -- and a bit of a payroll crunch, things always pointed to the trade market as a more likely source for shake ups.

As fans anxiously await another big move following their signing of Japanese sensation Tatsuya Imai, it seems things are trending towards a deal being made of one of their infielders.

To varying degrees, all three of Christian Walker, Isaac Paredes and Jesús Sánchez have been mentioned in the rumor mill, but as of Monday, all three remain in Houston. One of baseball's most prominent insiders in Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) expects that this could soon change.

Rosenthal Anticipates Astros to Trade One of Their Infielders

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"As The Athletic’s Chandler Rome wrote Friday, a trade of Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker or Jesús Sánchez appears increasingly likely," Rosenthal wrote. "Moving Paredes or Walker would address the Astros’ infield surplus. Moving any of the three would create the payroll flexibility to fill the team’s remaining needs, a backup catcher and either a left-handed bat or a leverage reliever."

If Houston is determined to clear up space in the infield, it's no secret that Paredes would have significantly more value than Walker. Sánchez meanwhile after a rough stint following the deadline deal would have very little value as well.

General manager Dana Brown is going to have to weigh potential return against value moving forward, which makes the decision even more difficult.

Astros Should Prioritize Keeping Paredes in Fold

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Though Paredes dealt with some serious injury issues which were a huge factor in Houston crumbling down the stretch, he was arguably the team's best player when he was on the field. Being named an All-Star for the second time in his career, he slashed .254/.352/.458 for a bWAR of 2.3 in just 102 games.

One of the centerpieces of the Kyle Tucker trade, Paredes looked like a core player for the future and is under contract until 2028. Barring someone blowing them away with an offer, he is absolutely someone the Astros should try to keep.

Walker on the other hand was a borderline disaster, and while Houston would certainly have to eat a chunk of his contract to get rid of him, opening up the space for Paredes and keeping him would ultimately be worth it.

In reality, the Astros are in a tough spot if they want to improve while not spending a boatload of cash, even after signing Imai. As Rosenthal pointed out, the pitching staff is largely set, but if a deal were to come together, it could be the best thing in other areas.

There's still a lot of offseason to go, and it seems Houston is set on making a deal over the coming weeks.

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