Would Houston Astros Trade Versatile Prospect With Star Potential at Deadline?

The Houston Astros need some help at the trade deadline. The team’s general manager, Dana Brown, admitted as much recently.

The Astros have been connected to starting pitchers like San Diego’s Blake Snell and the Chicago White Sox’s Dylan Cease. They’ve also been connected to hitters like Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger.

For trades like this, teams like the Astros lean on their farm system, which isn’t ranked among the best in baseball but still has some talent to work with. But who to deal is the question?

That’s what CBS Sports tried to answer recently. It picked eight American League teams and selected one prospect from each team that could be useful in a trade. MLB.com recently did the same thing and selected outfielder Jacob Melton.

With CBS, they selected utility player Joey Loperfido. The site’s logic?

We chose Loperfido because we think he's the most interesting of the bunch, if not necessarily the best. He's a former seventh-round pick who has performed well against Double-A pitching by drawing walks and hitting the ball hard. The Astros have prepared him for a super-utility-like role in the majors by tasking him with playing all over, including both right-side infield spots and center field. It wouldn't surprise us if some teams view him as a potential second-division starter. The question is whether or not the Astros do.

Indeed, Loperfido has played well for Corpus Christi (he started the season at High Class-A Asheville). He’s slashed .289/.386/.549/.935 in 75 games with 17 home runs and 53 RBI. He’s also played all three outfield positions, along with first base and second base.

He fits the mold of a versatile, do everything player. Would the Astros be interested in including him a trade?

We’ll find out by Aug. 1.

More From SI's Inside The Astros: