Death, taxes and the Houston Astros bouncing back from a slow start to sit atop the American League West are the only guarantees in life over the last few years.
Despite losing so much talent this past offseason and getting out of the gates slowly, the Astros are right in the thick of the playoff race in the AL. It is somewhat surprising, especially since the loss of talent is just one of many obstacles the team has had to overcome.
Injuries have diminished their depth, especially on the pitching mound. Spencer Arrighetti suffered a freak accident, breaking his hand, and Hayden Wesneski is sidelined after undergoing season-ending surgery. Ditto for Ronel Blanco, who had Tommy John surgery.
Houston is still patiently awaiting the return of Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia, but has gotten Lance McCullers Jr. back in the mix.
The pitching has been able to piece things together, with a starting rotation anchored by stars Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. Closer Josh Hader has been dominant at the back end of the bullpen as well.
Scoring runs, however, has been a struggle at times for the Astros, which isn’t all too surprising given the fact they lost third baseman Alex Bregman and right fielder Kyle Tucker this winter.
Add to that second baseman turned left fielder Jose Altuve and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez not living up to expectations, and those are the ingredients of a disaster.
Their big offseason acquisition, first baseman Christian Walker, has not panned out yet either.
That should have Houston on the lookout for some help in their lineup, as well as starting pitching, being buyers ahead of the deadline.
Rhys Hoskins Would Be a Great Trade Target for Astros
One player who could be on their radar is Rhys Hoskins of the Milwakee Brewers.
He is having a nice bounce back campaign after struggling in 2024 following a year missed because of injury.
Through 226 plate appearances in 2025, Hoskins has a 127 wRC+ and OPS+, producing a .264/.358/.451 slash line with nine home runs, nine doubles and 35 RBI.
The Brewers aren’t used to being sellers, making the postseason in six out of the last seven years. Despite having a 33-29 record entering play on June 4, their postseason odds are low at 34.8% at Baseball-Reference.
The next few weeks are going to be big for Hoskins and Milwaukee.
If they cannot remain in the playoff race, he will become one of the most sought-after hitters on the trade market, with several playoff contenders, including the Astros, needing help for their offense.
The only real hesitation Houston would have in acquiring Hoskins is that he is a right-handed hitter.
The Astros shouldn’t be turning down help for their lineup, but ideally, it would be a left-handed hitter, with their entire starting lineup without Alvarez hitting from the right side.
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