Houston Astros Reveal Trade Deadline Plans to Counter Rangers

It's been a busy week leading up the MLB Trade Deadline on August 1st.

The Houston Astros have not been too active in the market despite general manager Dana Brown saying they are targeting pitching. However, it looks like the front office is no longer in the market to acquire starting pitching.

This comes after the Texas Rangers pulled off a massive blockbuster trade to get Max Scherzer from the New York Mets and then traded for St. Louis Cardinals ace Jordan Montgomery in one weekend.

Leading the AL West division, it's clear the Rangers are all in this season and want to capitalize on the good play they've had so far.

Trailing Texas by one game, the Astros are figuring out what improvements they want to make as they get ready for their playoff push.

Their first move was to trade for a reliever who was with the team in 2021. There were rumors that there could be a reunion with their former ace Justin Verlander, but it seems like Brown is no longer targeting starters.

Bullpen help and a left handed bat are where they'll be putting their focus.

Another issue for Houston is that the best left handed batter, Cody Bellinger, has been pulled off the market by the Chicago Cubs.

With the San Diego Padres potentially selling, the Astros are interested in acquiring superstar closer Josh Hader.

This would massively upgrade their bullpen and improve the 12th best relief staff in the league.

Hader would definitely be a big name to get for Houston, but will it be enough to compete with the Rangers who have made major improvements to their team?

We'll see.

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