Two Realistic, Two Unrealistic Astros Trade Chips Ahead of 2026 Deadline

Things could get interesting soon for Houston and GM Dana Brown.

Dana Brown | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

One team that is stuck in the middle of nowhere when it comes to deciding early on if they are going to be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline is the Houston Astros. They are inching closer to being in the American League West Division race, entering this weekend's series at home against the Cleveland Guardians, four games back of the Seattle Mariners, which is surprising.

Injuries have hurt the Astros big time in 2026, as some players have underperformed while trying to fill the gaps left by some of those injuries for manager Joe Espada. Whether it's been on the mound, where the starting rotation has been hit hard by injuries, or on position players, things have caught up with Houston in terms of results on the field.

If they do indeed become sellers at the deadline, then they have a handful of players that teams would covet and look to try and land. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report listed Houston's top trade chips this summer and there were certainly some eye-opening names.

Four Astros Trade Chips, With Two Eye-Opening Choices

Yordan Alvarez | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

It feels like more teams are going to go down the road of being a seller this season. There might be more options for teams that are going to buy than some think. When it comes to Houston, Rymer listed their four best trade chips as Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, Josh Hader and Christian Walker.

"Don't get too excited by the name-drops for Alvarez and Peña. Both would make a mushroom cloud if they actually landed on the market, but Houston GM Dana Brown went out of his way to push back on any such talk,'' Rymer wrote.

We're not going to get too excited, as it's going to take one or two mind-blowing deals for Brown to consider moving either Alvarez or Peña. Let's just pretend those names are not there. However, Hader and Walker are much more realistic options that could be moved at the deadline. In fact, it might be a little surprising if both are still on the roster beyond August 3.

Hader is coming back from an injury and needs to prove to teams that he's healthy enough to trade for. He would be a huge addition to a contender's bullpen as a left-hander. Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox will also be highly coveted at the deadline.

As for Walker, this was a deal that Brown signed that hasn't worked out the way many had hoped. He gets a chance to clear him off the books by the deadline, as teams are always looking for power-hitting first basemen who can add pop to the middle or the bottom of a contender's order for the stretch run and the playoffs.

It's hard to envision Houston hanging around in the AL West enough to not convince Brown to sell, but if he does, there are certainly some interesting names to watch.