2025 Hypothetical Astros Trades Thread

Yes but you never know. I am still very skeptical of a deal happening but Paredes is a valuable player with enough versatility to appeal to a lot of teams. Brewers, Pirates, Phillies, Marlins, and to a lesser extent the Mets, Guardians, and Padres could all be improved by adding Paredes. I don’t buy that Paredes salary precludes a deal to any of those teams.

I am surprised there is still so much chatter about a potential trade. But the GM is the source of most of it. I just hope they don’t end up making a desperation move to solve a problem that might not even exist. This aspect of the offseason hasn’t reflected very positively on Dana Brown (so far).

 

Hypothetical with the Phillies:

Phillies get:
IF Isaac Paredes
CF Jake Meyers
P Spencer Arrighetti

Astros get:
SS Aiden Miller
OF Justin Crawford


This is doubtful as it’s not a win now move for Houston, but it would be a great trade for the Astros. They’d get a LH CF in Crawford and one of the best prospects in the game in Miller. Phillies get an all star 3B, the depth SP they need with Wheeler on the shelf, and a CF to replace Crawford. This trade would free up $11M+ so Houston could potentially backfill Arrighetti with Verlander.

Another version of this trade replace Nori with Alec Bohm, where Bohm becomes an oft used bench player filling in at 3B, 1B, and LF for Houston; but that only works if the Astros think Bohm would be ok in LF 60+ games this year.

 

Yes I messed up. I originally had OF Dante Nori in the Astros get section but deleted him once I thought more about how valuable Miller is. I still think Paredes/Meyers/Arrighetti for Miller and Crawford would be a good trade for Houston.

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/orioles-jackson-holliday-hamate-surgery-injured-list.html
Astros get:
OF Heston Kjerstad
C Maverick Handley

Orioles get:
IF Isaac Paredes

 

Astro get:
C Liam Hicks
IF Cristian Hernandez

Marlins get:
1B Christian Walker
$22M ($11M 2026, $11M 2027)

Astros get a LHH cheap backup C (who can also play 1B), an high upside AA SS, and free up $9M in 2026. That would put them ~$20M under the tax. They could use the surplus money to sign Lucas Giolito, giving them one of the deepest rotations in the league. There are no good lh bats left in free agency (and the trade market appears harsh) so they’d just have to make do with internal options. Opening day roster:

SS Pena
1B Paredes
DH Alvarez
3B Correa
2B Altuve
C Diaz
RF Smith
LF Cole
CF Meyers
Bench: Hicks, Loperfido, Allen, Salazar
SP: Brown, Imai, Giolito, Javier, Burrows, Arrighetti
RP: Hader, Abreu, King, Okert, Pearson, Munoz, McCullers
Optioned: Gordon, Blubaugh, Ullola, Alexander, Murray, Sousa, Teng, Weiss, Matthews, Dezenzo, Whitcomb
IL: Walter, Wesneski, Blanco
DFA: De Los Santos

 

So to my surprise it looks pretty certain that Houston is going to trade for an everyday caliber LH OF. There just aren’t that many. The list:
Wilyer Abreu
Jarren Duran
Oneil Cruz
Bryan Reynolds
Matt Wallner
Trevor Larnach
Alec Burleson
Christian Yelich
Lars Nootbaar
Steven Kwan
Kerry Carpenter
Addison Barger
Masataka Yoshida
Seiya Suzuki
Sal Frelick
Nathan Lukes
Pavin Smith
Jake Fraley
George Valera
Garrett Mitchell
Mickey Moniak
Jack Suwinski
Heston Kjerstad

Today’s hypothetical:

Astros get:
C Joey Bart
OF Matt Wallner

Pirates get:
IF Isaac Paredes

Twins get:
P Hunter Barco
OF Joseph Sullivan

SS Pena
2B Altuve
DH Alvarez
3B Correa
LF Wallner
1B Walker
C Diaz
CF Meyers
RF Cole
Bench: Bart, Loperfido, Matthews, Allen

 

I wonder if Christian Yelich might be available.

 

Yeah I’m just having a hard time seeing why the narrative is that Houston traded Sanchez in order to clear money to acquire an OF. If they trade Paredes that will give them ~$20M to play with in 2026 money and there just aren’t any remotely available and viable LHH OF making even $10M outside of Yelich. I also feel like trading for Yelich is a Jim Crane type of move.

If Houston could trade Paredes for 2 good prospects and flip one of them to Milwaukee for Yelich, with the Brewers eating enough money to get his salary to $19M AAV, I think that would be a really good outcome for Houston. It is worth noting that Yelich has a full no trade clause.

Just hard to see how Houston needs $15M+ in available payroll to add a LH OF.