Houston Astros Boss Is Eyeing Trading Players From Their Major League Roster

It sounds like there could be some trades being made from the Houston Astros Major League roster this offseason.

Apr 18, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown on the field before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Minute Maid Park / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros need to figure out what they are going to do with Alex Bregman.

Once he either decides to come back, presumably with a top-of-the-market deal, or if he departs to another team in free agency, that will really be when the front office can start making improvements to this roster.

Despite winning another AL West title, the team flamed out of the playoffs against the upstart Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card round, highlighting weaknesses that had been apparent throughout the entirety of the campaign.

But with the Astros looking to keep their spending at a minimum, even if they do re-sign Bregman, there aren't a whole lot of options for them to bring in the impact first baseman they desperately need.

One route they could take, though, is making some trades this winter, and that is exactly what general manager Dana Brown is considering doing.

"If we can use a major-league piece to get two pieces that will help us solve problems, I would welcome that if that deal shows up," he said per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

Ryan Pressly is someone who the front office reportedly has had internal discussions about shipping out of town this offseason, but the aging reliever might not bring back a return that would vastly improve this group.

Naturally, the next thought goes to whether or not they would be willing to trade Kyle Tucker or Framber Valdez, two players who will hit the open market after 2025 and don't seem like extension candidates at this point in time.

"I don't think we're going to be in the business of giving multiple seven-year deals or multiple eight-year deals, but if there's an opportunity to sign a guy that we feel is going to be good for six or seven years, I think (owner Jim Crane) would do it," Brown added.

That certainly leaves the door open to that possiblity.

Out of the duo, Valdez seems to be the most likely trade candidate based on how many quality starters Houston already has in their rotation

But moving one, or both, of those players this winter seems counterintuitive when the Astros are still actively trying to win a World Series title.

Brown said as much, stating, "But I don't want to trade major-league pieces and weaken the team. It has to make sense for the team and it has to feel like we’re getting better."

It will be interesting to see what comes from this, but one thing that's been made clear is that all things are on the table when trying to get this team back to championship status.