The Astros’ 12-3 loss to the White Sox snapped a five-game winning streak, but Houston still has enough recent momentum to keep the trade-deadline conversation pointed in one direction. Even after the defeat, the club sits at 52-55 and has gone 32-24 over its last 56 games, leaving it two games behind both the AL West lead and a wild card spot.
That’s why GM Dana Brown sounded so steady on the Astros’ pregame radio show. Brown said, “ we would anticipate that we’re going to be buyers ” at the deadline, and he doubled down on the idea that the race is still there for the taking.
“ The division is wide open. The wild card is wide open.
There’s some parity there. There’s a lot of teams bunched up.
I think the team that gets hot is going to be the team that takes the run,” Brown said.
Brown has been saying as much for nearly two months, even when Houston’s 20-31 start made the season look like it could go sideways. The bigger question now is what kind of bat the Astros can actually land. Brown has made it clear the front office wants outfield help and left-handed balance in a lineup that skews heavily right-handed, but he also broadened the ask on Sunday by emphasizing “ whatever production we can get,” even if the upgrade comes from the right side.
“ We’re looking for some type of offensive bat that can play the outfield,” Brown said. “ If it’s a left-handed bat, great, but any type of offensive upgrade that can help lengthen the lineup would be our focus.”
That leaves Houston with a wide search. Among the left-handed outfielders already known to have been explored are Rockies outfielders Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy. With the Blue Jays now looking like deadline sellers, Daulton Varsho and former Astro Jesus Sanchez are also rental names that could come into play.
Money may end up shaping how aggressive the Astros can be. The assumption around the industry is that ownership would prefer to get under the luxury tax after two straight years of paying it, and MLBTR’s Payroll Tracker puts Houston’s estimated tax number at about $235.6MM - only a little room below the $244MM line.
The club already trimmed $2.5MM from the books in the salary-dump deal that sent Lance McCullers Jr. to the Brewers, with Colton Gordon included as the sweetener to get Milwaukee to take on part of the $6.67MM left on McCullers’ contract. Chandler Rome has suggested Houston may still need to move money before it can fully address the roster, and he floated Cristian Javier and Christian Walker as possible trade candidates in that scenario.
Javier is owed the rest of his $21MM salary for 2026 and another $21MM in 2027. Like McCullers, his recent seasons have been wrecked by injuries, which means Houston would likely have to absorb most of the deal to move him.
Walker is owed the remainder of his $20MM 2026 salary and another $20MM in 2027. Because he’s been hitting reasonably well, the Astros might be able to get a decent return while also creating more meaningful payroll relief.
The catch, as Rome noted, is that dealing Walker opens another hole in the lineup.
That probably leaves Walker as the likeliest notable name Houston would even consider moving. The Astros are not about to part with one of their bigger pieces in the middle of a playoff chase, and the Red Sox reportedly learned that firsthand. Ari Alexander of 7 News reported that Boston “were shut down immediately” after asking about Jeremy Pena.
Pena had been a speculative trade name at different points, including during the offseason when Houston’s infield looked crowded and again when the Astros stumbled out of the gate. That chatter has faded quickly. Over the last six weeks, he has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, and Houston has no reason to move him now.
There’s also a coaching note to watch. Rome reported that Wake Forest University has offered Astros offensive coordinator/director of hitting Dan Hennigan a job. It’s not known whether Hennigan will take it, and Houston is trying to keep him.
Hennigan has served as director of hitting for the last two seasons, and the offensive coordinator title made him an official part of the coaching staff. With Brown and manager Joe Espada both in the final year of their contracts, it wouldn’t be surprising if Hennigan - and maybe others in the organization - is thinking ahead to whatever comes next, whether the Astros make the playoffs or not.
In Other News...
Red Sox Just Made A Deadline Trade Fans Did Not See Coming
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What makes the deal especially interesting is the ripple effect it could have in the infield. Meads bat is the draw, but his defensive home is less settled, and Boston has not said how it plans to sort out the alignment with Caleb Durbin already in the picture. For a team trying to keep pace in a tight race, the next step may matter just as much as the trade itself. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Fans Wont Like This New Triston Casas Setback
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Interim manager Chad Tracy said Casas is still unable to swing, which keeps the conversation from even reaching the point of baseball decisions. The bigger question now is not just when he returns, but what the Red Sox would ask of him if he does, since his timeline and role remain very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Crochet Contract Twist Just Changed Bostons Long Term Rotation Outlook
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The change came because of his injury-related time on the injured list, which altered the structure of the agreement in Bostons favor. For the Red Sox, it means Crochet is no longer just a short-term piece to monitor, but a pitcher whose place in the organizations long-range plans is now much more firmly established. [Read more 🡒]