Despite the Houston Astros sitting in first place in the American League West with a record of 33-27, it’s not a surefire conclusion that the the team will be buyers at the Major League Baseball trade deadline next month. One MLB insider has already come out and said that the right thing to do at the deadline for the Astros may be to serve as sellers.
Selling wouldn’t be the conventional route for the Astros to take, especially while they are involved in the postseason conversation, but there was another insider who floated out that idea, and this time, it was Jeff Passan.
Passan dropped an early primer on all things trade deadline this week, and in talking about the Astros, the ESPN insider mentioned the best course may be to stand pat. However, Passan sets the stage for the Astros potentially selling, mentioning their fate could be tied to the status of Yordan Álvarez.
Yordan Álvarez could be the determining factor for the Astros’ trade deadline approach
Álvarez has been sidelined since May 2 with what the Astros originally referred to as a muscle strain. However, imaging done over the last week revealed that the Astros’ slugger has a minor fracture in his right hand.
If the Astros are to be believed, inflammation in Álvarez’s hand prevented the team’s medical staff from seeing the fracture. Despite suggesting Álvarez’s return may not be that far away, the Astros did not provide a clear timeline.
Fortunately for the Astros, the breakout season from Jeremy Peña is keeping their offense afloat. And, the Astros’ record since Álvarez’s injury is above .500, but they only hold a half-game lead over the Mariners in the division.
Despite that success, given the purpose of the season for the Astros was to create a runway for their younger players, the idea of the team making an aggressive buy at the deadline can likely be ruled out. In other words, the Astros being buyers likely isn’t contingent on Álvarez’s return. However, Álvarez’s return at the deadline could be the difference between the Astros standing pat at the deadline or selling.
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