Houston Astros Deal Veteran Right-Hander to Division Rival in Surprise Move

Everyone around the baseball world was stunned when the Houston Astros got off to such a poor start out of the gate that really put their chances of making the playoffs in jeopardy.

With people in and around their clubhouse pointing to the fact it was still early in the season and they had been struck by a litany of injuries, there was optimism things would get turned around eventually.

But, when starters were returning and the losses kept piling up, the noise about the Astros actually becoming sellers at the deadline started to get louder and louder.

With them returning home for a massive 10-game homestand, it's imperative Houston puts together a stretch of performances that starts getting them back on track.

So far, so good for the Astros as they took the first three against the Oakland Athletics with an opportunity to sweep on Thursday.

However, ahead of this matchup, some interesting news was reported by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors that Houston shipped their veteran right-hander Brandon Bielak to the Athletics in exchange for cash.

It's a surprising move for multiple reasons.

Not only is this a trade within the AL West division, but it also sends out a Major League-caliber arm who has a 4.65 career ERA in 70 games for the Astros since 2020 with 21 of them being starts.

The 28-year-old had struggled this year, posting a 5.71 ERA over 10 appearances before being designated for assignment last week.

However, considering the injuries this pitching staff has already suffered this season, this is certainly an eyebrow-raising move.

Houston just sent out another player who was on the Triple-A/MLB bubble in Corey Julks.

It's surprising to see a team who has championship aspirations getting rid of depth instead of adding it at this time of the year.

What comes out of this will be seen, but on paper, the Astros just shipped out two depth pieces who have Major League experience.