Astros Slugger Makes Sense for Phillies to Pursue in Potential Trade

Should the Philadelphia Phillies pursue a slugger from the Houston Astros to fix their offense?

Apr 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Astros hat and glove in the dugout during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

As the Philadelphia Phillies try to regroup from another series loss to the Chicago Cubs, the team might have to entertain the idea of trying to make an improvement sooner rather than later. 

With an 8-10 record to start the season, it has not been ideal for the Phillies. This is a team that is expected to be a contender, but so far, they have not looked like one. With three straight series losses, some concerns are starting to grow. 

On Wednesday, Jesus Luzardo had his third bad start of the season, and this one ended up being his worst of the year. He allowed eight earned runs in the game, and it was the third time already this campaign that he has allowed five or more runs. 

While that is certainly a major concern, so too has been the offense. Even though a lot of the attention might have gone to Luzardo’s poor start, this was an offense that only scored two runs in the game as well. 

Offensive production has to be a concern for the team, and adding a right-handed bat could help solve some of the issues. One player who could be a potential option for them is Houston Astros infielder Isaac Paredes. The slugger was mentioned in some rumors this offseason, and with the Astros off to a slow start, he could be on the trade block once again. 

Paredes Could Address Needs

Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

When looking at where it would make sense for Philadelphia to try, third base makes a lot of sense. Alec Bohm is once again off to a poor start to the season, and the team needs more from the position. 

Edmundo Sosa could very well get some more playing time, but he is best utilized as a utility player. When it comes to Paredes, he could check a lot of boxes for the Phillies. With the ability to play third base, he would fill a need there. Furthermore, he has shown that he could be an All-Star caliber slugger. 

Last year, he slashed .254/.352/.458 with 20 home runs and 53 RBI in 102 games played. While he might be off to a bit of a slow start with the Astros this year, he has been a fairly proven player and is just 27 years old. Furthermore, as a right-handed slugger, he could help provide some much-needed balance and power from that side of the plate to complement Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. 

Due to the struggles of Houston early on, it is certainly possible that Paredes will be available this season. If that ends up being the case, Philadelphia should pursue him.