The Houston Astros find themselves in a bit of a roster puzzle, and the clock is ticking. With a crowded infield and no clear resolution in sight, it’s becoming more and more likely that manager Joe Espada wasn’t just throwing out ideas when he suggested the All-Star infielder might see time at both second base and the corner infield spots. Whether that’s a strategic shift or simply a necessity to get all the bats in the lineup, it’s clear the Astros are juggling more talent than they can comfortably carry-at least under their current financial constraints.
That brings us to Isaac Paredes, who remains one of the most intriguing names on the trade block. The longer he stays there, though, the tougher it becomes for Houston to maximize his value.
Unless Astros owner Jim Crane has had a change of heart about crossing the luxury tax threshold, someone’s going to have to go. Ideally, that would be Christian Walker, but realistically, Paredes is the more appealing trade chip-by a long shot.
Here’s the issue: the longer this drags on, the more teams are going to move on. Clubs in need of infield help aren’t just sitting around waiting on Houston. They’re exploring other options, and in some cases, those moves are reshaping the market in ways that don’t favor the Astros.
Case in point: Luis Arraez just landed in San Francisco. The three-time batting champ isn’t your typical power-hitting infielder, but his elite contact skills make him a unique weapon.
Defensively, he’s bounced around, but he reportedly prioritized a team that would let him settle in at second base. That’s exactly what the Giants are giving him-and it might have a ripple effect that impacts Houston directly.
With Arraez now penciled in at second, that could make versatile infielder Casey Schmitt expendable. And if Schmitt hits the trade market, he’s going to grab attention. While he doesn’t have the track record of a Paredes, Brendan Donovan, or Nico Hoerner-two other names floating around in infield trade talks-Schmitt brings plenty to the table, especially for teams looking for a cheaper, more flexible option.
Let’s break it down. Donovan and Hoerner are known for their contact skills and defensive reliability.
Paredes, on the other hand, is the power bat in this mix. He slugged his way to a .204 ISO in 2025, showing he knows exactly how to take advantage of Minute Maid Park’s Crawford Boxes.
But that number dipped to .155 in 2024, and while he’s still a threat at the plate, his defensive versatility has waned. The Astros are considering him at second base out of necessity, not because it’s a natural fit-he hasn’t played there since logging 97 innings in 2023.
Schmitt, meanwhile, is still getting his feet under him in the majors, but the flashes are real. He posted a .163 ISO last season-above league average-and in a smaller sample of 113 plate appearances, that number jumped to .224.
That’s not nothing. And while he hasn’t played more than 95 games in a season yet, the power potential is there.
What really sets Schmitt apart, though, is his versatility. In 2025, he logged 18 or more games at first, second, and third base.
He’s even seen some time at shortstop. That kind of flexibility is gold in today’s game, especially when you’re trying to maximize roster efficiency.
Paredes has some positional experience, but it’s mostly in the rearview mirror.
Then there’s the financial angle. Both Schmitt and Paredes are about to turn 27, but Schmitt comes with two extra years of team control and hasn’t hit arbitration yet.
That means he’ll cost at least $8 million less than Paredes in 2026 alone. For teams trying to stay under budget while adding impact talent, that’s a major selling point.
So where does that leave the Astros? In a tricky spot.
Paredes is the more accomplished player, no question. But if the Giants do make Schmitt available, his lower cost and added flexibility could pull some teams away from the Paredes sweepstakes.
That puts Houston in a bind: either move Paredes for less than his true value just to get under the tax line, or make a different, potentially tougher roster decision to balance the books.
One way or another, the Astros are going to have to act soon. The infield market is moving, and if they wait too long, they may find themselves with fewer options-and less leverage-than they’d like.