Dana Brown Says There's 'No Way' They Trade Starting Infielder and Remain Competitive

The Houston Astros have a lot to discuss this winter, but one move has seemingly remained off the board, as Dana Brown made clear his vision.

Aug 1, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown speaks with media before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Minute Maid Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have much work to do this winter to put themselves in a position to compete for the postseason once again.

After revamping the coaching staff, the next step is to add to the roster and build a sustainable core capable of competing with the best teams in the American League. With a somewhat depleted farm system at the moment, the focus will have to be on dealing via trade and free agency.

After trading away Kyle Tucker last offseason, it was fair to assume they may make some more deals this offseason to try to bring in some more young controllable talent for players on deals with less time remaining.

One of the names who fits the bill is shortstop Jeremy Peña, who had a highly productive 2025 season, and only has two more years of control on his current contract.

With that said, trading him away would be a difficult decision, given that he plays strong defense at a position with high value, and despite likely garnering a large return in a deal, would certainly be a tough player to lose out on for the next two years.

What Did Dana Brown Have to Say About Peña's Trade Availability?

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

In a recent article from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, a quote was brought up regarding the trade availability of Peña, and general manager Dana Brown's opinion on the notion. Brown had the following to say regarding Peña and if any teams were calling with interest:

“I think teams understand if you’re a winning team and you’re trying to go back to the postseason, there’s no way you can trade your starting shortstop."

That makes it pretty much abundantly clear that the Astros are not looking to shop him at this point in time, which, frankly, is likely the right choice. As difficult as it would be to pass up on a high-level package offered by another team, keeping around a core player who has been integral to the vast majority of the team's success is more important.

Jeremy Peña leads the way for shortstops! 💎 pic.twitter.com/BU2fvKlQv8

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 10, 2025

In 2025, he ended up playing 125 games, accruing 5.6 bWAR, slashed .304/.363/.477 with 68 runs, 62 RBI, 17 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 93 strikeouts and 35 walks. His fielding was also outstanding, as in 1,061.2 innings at shortstop, he picked up 149 putouts, 274 assists, 51 double plays and nine errors, which amounts to a .979 fielding rate. That isn't the type of player that a team trying to compete trades away.

---