Dicey Trade Proposal With Guardians Shows Three Rising Stars Leaving Astros

It would be a high-risk, high-reward trade for the Houston Astros.

Houston Astros cap | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros aren't known for their stellar farm system. In truth, they have one of the worst in the Major Leagues right now.

But they do have a couple of top prospects who, as long as they continue down this trajectory, could develop into some of the most reliable players in MLB.

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Knowing this, it's jolting to see their names pop up in a trade proposal. However, sometimes the risk ends up being well worth the reward. In a recent trade idea conjured up byKerry Miller of Bleacher Report, three Astros could find their way out the door in exchange for one outfielder.

3-for-1 Trade Proposal Involves Cleveland Guardians

Houston Astros infielder Brice Matthews | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In Miller's proposal, one option for Houston to solve its outfield dilemma would be to send top prospects Brice Mathews and Walker Janek, along with right-hander Spencer Arreghetti, to the Guardians. In return, the Astros would receive four-time Gold Glove recipient Steven Kwan.

During the 28-year-old outfielder's 2025 campaign with Cleveland, he slashed .272/.330/.374 with a .704 OPS, recording 11 homers and 56 RBIs through 156 games. Kwan would almost immediately provide reliability to Houston's outfield, an area where they could use help.

However, with an already unstable farm system, waving off Matthews and Janek would be an incredibly risky move.

As a No. 1 prospect last year, Matthews slashed .260/.371/.458 and 17 homers through 112 games in Triple-A. As for Walker, he was their No. 3 prospect and slashed .263/.333/.433 with a .766 OPS and 12 homers during his 92 game apparances.

As noted by Miller, not only would this trade bring in a Gold Glove veteran, but it would also leave some room for a potential Isaac Paredes trade. Parades has been linked to the Boston Red Sox multiple times, but it's understandable why Houston would be reluctant to make a splash—he's one of their most valuable hitters at this time.

As a whole, this trade proposal certainly isn't too extreme. Sure, it would be considered a high-risk trade by sending out two top prospects, but the reward could also be quite high if Kwan returns this year with a similar defensive prowess.

This would leave the Astros in an even more questionable position when it comes to their farm system, but the payoff might be exactly what the franchise needs after suffering such a brutal season last year. Is it time for Houston to make some waves in the trade market?

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