The Houston Astros have been one of the most surprising teams in Major League Baseball this season. They sit atop the American League West and have seemingly replaced players like Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker with young, budding stars. Houston also has one of the best one-two punches in Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. They are 60-43 with a five-game lead in the division.
However, with less than a week before the trade deadline, and Isaac Paredes going down with what appears to be a severe injury that may keep him out of the lineup until the playoffs, the Astros should consider another bat for their left side of the infield.
Astros Trade Idea Lands Rockies’ Ryan McMahon
Aside from Eugenio Suarez, who is obviously the best third baseman on the trade market, Ryan McMahon might be the second-best option. All signs point to the Colorado Rockies being sellers, and the Houston Astros should certainly make calls on their third baseman. Houston need two things, both of which McMahon happens to qualify. They are in search of a left side of infield bat and a left-handed power hitter.
The Astros have battled injuries as much as any team in MLB, but it doesn’t get as much attention because of the caliber of their roster. Still, their depth has taken a significant hit, and they’ve lost several pitchers for the entire season. First, it was Jeremy Peña, and now Isaac Paredes, but the bottom line is that the Astros should be just as engaged in this trade deadline as any other top contender.
McMahon isn’t exactly a “hit for average” type of player; he’s batting just .217 this season, but has 16 home runs and 15 doubles, so when he does get hits, they usually go for extra bases. However, he is slugging over .400 and was named an All-Star last season before finishing the season with 28 home runs. The power is certainly there, and maybe if he gets dealt to a contender, that will revitalize his average. He’s been fairly consistent throughout his career, hitting about .240 0r a little higher, but the strikeouts have really been a bug-a-boo for him this year. He has 127 of them in 350 at-bats.
Ryan McMahon’s Contract Dilemma
The Rockies are in full rebuild mode, so they will likely take any young capital they can get. The Houston Astros have been rolling with Mauricio Dubon over at third, and he provides a good defensive option wherever he plays, but he can’t quite offer the power stroke that McMahon can.
The one thing that slightly drives the price up on McMahon is the fact that he’s signed through 2027 on a $70 million contract, so would the Astros necessarily want to take up that contract for a guy who strikes out essentially one in every three times he’s up to bat? That remains to be seen, but looking at the potential deal at face value makes sense considering what the Astros’ top needs are.
Astros Trade Idea Lands Isaac Paredes Replacement from Rockies