Could Astros Be on Verge of Trading Either Christian Walker or Isaac Paredes?

Will the Houston Astros hold onto both Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes this year?

Sep 27, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) hits a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros had several tasks to check off this offseason, and they've slowly been chipping away at their list. After missing the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade, the franchise lost quite a bit of credibility. Of course, much of their woes could be attributed to the number of players that fell victim to injuries, but there were already some questionable gaps heading into their 2025 campaign.

With 2026 well on its way, there are still plenty of decisions the Astros have yet to make. Ideally, holding onto key players is always the best-case scenario, but is there a world in which Houston could send out two of its most prized infielders?

Will Walker or Paredes Be Shipped Off?

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

While retaining 34-year-old infielder Christian Walker certainly wouldn't be the worst decision made in Houston's history, it would be a questionable move, and perhaps a missed opportunity. This past season, he saw a drop in overall performance, wrapping up his campaign slashing .238/.297/.421. For reference, his OBP in 2024 while with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he spent most of his MLB career, was .335. This was far from his best season in the Major Leagues, but sending him out could be jumping the gun.

As for 26-year-old slugger Isaac Paredes, he has drawn interest from other ball clubs across the league, but it doesn't look like general manager Dana Brown is biting. However, the Astros could find themselves in a predicament by having both Walker and Paredes on their roster.

"I'm just not sure there's enough at-bats to go around for both Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker, which makes me think one of them could be on the move," said Chandler Rome of The Athletic during an appearance on MLB Network.

“I'm just not sure there's enough at-bats to go around for both Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker, which makes me think one of them could be on the move.”

- @Chandler_Rome on the Astros' crowded infield

MLB Network + @CohnReznick pic.twitter.com/UKZn4CjaQy

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 10, 2025

In 2025, Paredes slashed .254/.352/.458 and posted 20 homers and 53 RBIs across 102 games with Houston. Before landing with the Astros, he found himself with the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, and eventually had a brief stint with the Chicago Cubs before making his way to Houston.

At the end of the day, as disappointing as it would be to lose two key players, the Astros must continue making moves if they want to reach the postseason next year. They have quite a bit of work to do to redeem themselves after such a frustrating season, but taking a major splash could be a step in the right direction.