With the Trade Market Starting to Heat Up, Could the Houston Astros Make a Splash?
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The Houston Astros still need additional left-handed bats and help at the catcher's position. Addressing those two areas would help solidify the only remaining holes left on the roster.
The signing of Michael Brantley helps address part of the equation, if he stays healthy. That is a big "if" given his injury and his age, but he is a favorite within the clubhouse as well as a fan-favorite. It makes sense as to why the Astros took a gamble on Brantley.
With few options left on the free agent market and the trade market beginning to heat up, could Houston pull the trigger on a trade?
The Astros would have been a good trade partner with the Toronto Blue Jays given that Toronto had a surplus of catchers. However, they made a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that sent their top catching prospect Gabriel Moreno to Arizona for outfielder Daulton Varsho.
Moreno has the talent to be a perennial All-Star and would have helped the Astros get younger. Alas, he is no longer an option.
Another potential trade partner in the Oakland Athletics shipped catcher Sean Murphy to the Atlanta Braves in a three-team trade involving the Milwaukee Brewers.
One potential would be a trade for Kansas City Royals catcher MJ Melendez who currently sits behind veteran Salvador Perez. Melendez hit .217/.313/.393 with 18 home runs in 129 games this past season. He is just 24 years old, has plenty of team control, and has established a pretty good offensive floor.
Perhaps less likely, but potentially available all the same, is Jonah Heim of divisional rivals the Texas Rangers. The Rangers have a glut of catchers and starting catcher Mitch Garver is primed to be back and fully healthy this season.
Texas may want to move Heim, and the Astros could be primed to make a move for him, albeit this may come at an overpay considering the trade would be a rare inter-divisional one.
After that, it gets pretty thin. The catcher's position is one of the thinnest in baseball and team's are hugging on tight to their productive players and prospects at the position.
As far as lefty bats go, outfielder Alex Verdugo could be on the trading block. He is a left-handed bat with some pop and given the state of the Boston Red Sox, a trade is more than feasible.
Verdugo slashed .280/.328/.405 with 11 home runs during the 2022 MLB season. He would represent a nice upgrade to the lineup, but he would come at a cost. The Red Sox need starting pitching, so any deal almost certainly starts with Hunter Brown's name being mentioned.
Finally, Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler could draw some interest. The Twins just signed Joey Gallo leaving open the possibility of moving Kepler. A left-handed bat, Kepler when healthy is a productive hitter. He is just 29 years old and is under contract for two more years at a relatively affordable price given his production.
There are a few options out there on the trade market that could improve Houston's roster. The question remains: are they willing to pay the price of acquisition?
Or an even better one: do they even need to?
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