The Houston Astros are heading into an intriguing trade deadline. Sitting in first place in the American League West Division, the Astros have put themselves in a position to be buyers in the coming weeks. At the same time, they also have a cast of reinforcements that should return from injury in the second half, including Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, and Cristian Javier.
This gives the Astros the option to sit back and hope everyone has a productive return or force the issue by becoming aggressive on the trade market. But if Houston wants to aim big, there’s a former All-Star who should have their attention.
Astros Should Target Red Sox OF Jarren Duran at Trade Deadline
The Astros have plenty of situations to monitor ahead of the deadline, but one of the biggest has been what is happening in the outfield. Cam Smith has been terrific in right field after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade last winter, but Houston has major questions when it comes to left and center field.
Jose Altuve drew the biggest headlines when he made the switch to left field at the start of the season. While his struggles defensively have caused Houston to use him at second base in 13 of the past 16 games, he made his first start in the outfield since June 21 in Friday’s 7-3 loss to the Texas Rangers. Part of the reason has been a rough season from Chas McCormick and overall struggles of Taylor Trammell, but the Astros had another issue in center field when Jake Myers aggravated a calf injury.
While the starting rotation could also use an extra arm, it may be worth trying to fix the outfield problem and calling the Boston Red Sox about Jarren Duran.
Duran has had a solid year in Boston, hitting .260/.318/.434 with eight homers, 50 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases, but many are considering it a down campaign, considering what he did last season. Making his first All-Star appearance, Duran hit .285/.342/.492 with 21 homers, 75 RBIs, and 34 stolen bases while also leading MLB with 48 doubles and 14 triples. He also logged 8.7 wins above replacement and was the most impactful Red Sox player since Mookie Betts had 10.7 WAR during his MVP season in 2018.
A player like this won’t be cheap, and with the Astros having the 29th-ranked farm system according to MLB Pipeline, it may be difficult to give the Red Sox what they’re looking for. Boston also has a log jam in the outfield with Wilyer Abreu, Ceddane Rafaela, and Roman Anthony vying for playing time, and could be convinced to make a deal if they have something that can help the team right now.
Could the Astros convince Boston to take on Lance McCullers and his $17 million salary? Or could they throw in a pair of MLB-ready prospects such as outfielder Jacob Melton and right-handed pitcher Miguel Ullola?
It may need to be a strong package to outbid a team like the San Diego Padres, but it could be worth it to add another outfielder and left-handed bat to the lineup.