Houston Astros Trade Rumors: Tracking Hot Updates, News and Reaction
While Houston lost eight of its last 10 games before the All-Star break and fell out of first place in the AL West, the Astros are still very much one of the game's biggest first-half surprises and a legitimate contender that shouldn't be taken lightly.
That said, general manager Jeff Luhnow is going to have to go out and add another established arm to pair with Cy Young contender Dallas Keuchel atop the team's rotation, if not two starters to take some pressure off the impressive-but-inexperienced Lance McCullers Jr.
Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Astros, along with analysis and everything that comes with it.
While the post date will always show as July 15, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Astros look to bolster their roster and make a run at the team's first playoff appearance since 2005.
Done Deals
1 of 10
July 23: Acquired LHP Scott Kazmir from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for RHP Daniel Mengden and C Jacob Nottingham
July 30: Acquired RHP Mike Fiers and OF Carlos Gomez from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for LHP Josh Hader, RHP Adrian Houser, OF Brett Phillips and OF Domingo Santana (Analysis coming)
Astros Are Reportedly Making a Run at Aroldis Chapman
2 of 10
Friday, July 31 at 1:57 p.m. ET
The Astros are "trying hard" to land Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
Chapman is the best closer in the game, so if the Astros think they are a shutdown closer away from being serious contenders, they should make a big offer to bring him to Houston.
The 27-year-old left-hander is making $8.05 million this season and will likely make eight figures in 2016 through the arbitration process this winter. He is under club control through next season.
Jake Marisnick Is Available
3 of 10
With Gold Glove Award-winning Carlos Gomez now patrolling center field at Minute Maid Park, the Houston Astros have apparently made their incumbent, 24-year-old Jake Marisnick, available, per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
"marisnick is coming up in trade talks since astros got carlos gomez.http://t.co/Mdl6oxOuoz
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 31, 2015"
An above-average defender at a premium position, Marisnick has struggled at the plate in 2015, hitting .235 with 17 extra-base hits (five home runs), 21 RBI and a .641 OPS.
.png?w=256)
Houston Is in Pursuit of Tyson Ross
4 of 10
Update: Friday, July 31 at 1:40 a.m. ET
The Padres and the Houston Astros are working on "something big," according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
Per Passan, the two teams have discussed Ross and Craig Kimbrel.
--End of Update--
Update: Thursday, July 30 at 11:51 a.m. ET
While contenders and non-contenders alike have interest in Tyson Ross, sources tell CBS Sports' Jon Heyman that Houston may be in the lead to land him from San Diego.
--End of Update--
Update: Wednesday, July 29 at 8:38 p.m. ET
Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that the Astros have more interest in Tyson Ross than Andrew Cashner at this point. No word no whether a deal is close or not.
--End of Update--
Update: Tuesday, July 21 at 9:40 p.m. ET
Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle has confirmed earlier reports that the Astros and Padres have at least held preliminary talks on both Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross. With the team's focus seemingly on Cole Hamels, both Padres starters seem to be fallback options at this point.
--End of Update--
Update: Saturday, July 18 at 3:28 p.m. ET
According to Dennis Lim of The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Astros and Padres have engaged in preliminary talks about trades involving a pair of 28-year-old San Diego starters, right-handers Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross.
A free agent after the year, Cashner, has pitched reasonably well (4.10 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 1.34 WHIP) and is striking out batters at his highest rate (8.0 K/9) since 2012, but he's also become prone to the long ball and has already set a new career-high with 13 home runs on the season.
Ross (pictured) has walked a league-high 55 batters, which helps explain his 1.41 WHIP, but has still pitched to a 3.31 ERA (2.91 FIP) while striking out nearly 10 batters per nine innings of work. That he's the better pitcher—and under team control through 2017—makes him the more expensive option.
With the likelihood of Justin Upton's departure, outfielders Domingo Santana and Preston Tucker could be high on San Diego's list of targets.
--End of Update--
It's all speculation at this point, but Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal wonders whether the Astros will make a run at one of San Diego's starting pitchers as the deadline nears.
While the Padres haven't officially put anyone on the trade block, there have been rumors that they've been gauging interest in James Shields and have a pending free agent in Ian Kennedy who could also be on the market.
Of the group, Rosenthal aptly notes that Tyson Ross, who is under team control through the 2017 season, would be the most attractive (and valuable) addition for a team. The 28-year-old has struggled with his control this year, walking an NL-high 55 batters, but has still pitched to a 3.34 ERA (2.92 FIP) with 118 strikeouts over 110.1 innings of work.
July 30: Acquired RHP Mike Fiers and OF Carlos Gomez
5 of 10
Two years ago, Carlos Gomez made an incredible catch on Tal's Hill for the Milwaukee Brewers.
For the rest of this season, Astros fans will get to see him do it on a regular basis in a Houston uniform, as he, along with right-hander Mike Fiers, now call Minute Maid Park home.
Gomez, who was nearly traded to the New York Mets last night, is hitting .266 with 29 extra-base hits (eight home runs) and a .751 OPS this season, despite missing chunks of time with a variety of injuries.
When he's healthy, however, like was in 2014, when he hit .284 with 23 home runs, 34 doubles, four triples and 73 RBI and was a MVP candidate, Gomez is one of the game's premier offensive weapons, which makes him an absolute bargain at $9 million in 2016.
Fiers, 30, has delivered solid results for the club, pitching to a 3.62 ERA (3.63 FIP) and 1.23 WHIP across parts of five seasons. More importantly, he's not arbitration eligible until 2017 and under team control through 2019.
It cost the Astros a hefty price to bring the pair to town, but it was a deal worth making.
July 23: Acquired LHP Scott Kazmir from the Oakland Athletics
6 of 10
The Houston Astros have acquired left-hander Scott Kazmir from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for right-hander Daniel Mengden and catcher Jacob Nottingham, per the team's official Twitter account.
Not wanting to wait for the rest of the market to get active, the Astros went out and got a proven veteran to pair with Dallas Keuchel in the front of the rotation.
Kazmir is in the middle of what has been the best season of his 11-year career. The southpaw has posted a 2.38 ERA and a 1.085 WHIP through his first 18 starts of 2015. Not only that, but his strikeouts per nine innings (8.3), hits per nine (6.9) and home runs per nine (0.6) are all better than they were during his 2014 All-Star season.
The three-time All-Star, who is in the final year of his contract, is making $13 million this season.
Houston had been linked to many high-profile pitchers, as they are looking to back a surprise run at the postseason. While Kazmir may not have been the top pitcher on the market, he certainly does bring a solid resume to the staff and can give the Astros a reliable No. 2 starter, something the club badly needed.
Whether or not the Kazmir deal is the only trade the team makes to bolster the rotation remains to be seen.
Houston Is Interested in Justin Upton
7 of 10
Sunday, July 19 at 4:58 p.m. ET
Houston has expressed interest in San Diego's Justin Upton, sources tell Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, though it's unclear whether there have been any substantial talks between the two clubs.
Upton rode a massive slump into the All-Star break, hitting .180 (23-for-128) with only five extra-base hits (two home runs) since June 1, and he hasn't been much better over his first two games after the break, going 1-for-6, though that lone hit was a solo home run, which is a good sign.
A free agent after the season, Upton's natural ability and track record of success are surely what interest the Astros, who could be of the belief that a change of scenery is all he needs to get things back on track.
Milwaukee's Carlos Gomez and Gerardo Parra Are on Houston's Radar
8 of 10
Saturday, July 18 at 5:22 p.m. ET
In his latest video for Fox Sports, Ken Rosenthal says that the Astros have been scouting Milwaukee's outfield, paying particular attention to center fielder Carlos Gomez and the versatile Gerardo Parra.
While Gomez, is obviously the more attractive addition, both in terms of potential impact and control (he can't become a free agent until after 2016), Parra won't cost nearly as much in the way of prospects to obtain.
One of the young players being dangled by the Astros, according to Rosenthal, is first baseman Jonathan Singleton, who could be attractive to Milwaukee, which has been searching for a long-term answer at first base ever since Prince Fielder left as a free agent after the 2011 season.
Jeff Samardzija Is Near the Top of Houston's Wish List
9 of 10
Wednesday, July 15 at 8:43 p.m. ET
Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle says that Chicago's Jeff Samardzija, along with Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto, are the two starting pitchers that the Astros seem to have the most interest in acquiring.
Few pitchers have done more to raise their value as a trade chip in recent weeks than Samardzija, who has pitched to a 2.40 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over his last six starts, holding the opposition to a .225/.277/.288 slash line in the process.
While he still might be more of a No. 2 starter than an ace, there's little doubt that adding Samardzija to the rotation would give Houston a huge push in the second half of the season.
Unlike Cincinnati, which (should be) about to embark on a rebuilding process and can use help in a number of places, Chicago's needs are more defined, with third base and catcher both areas in which they need upgrades.
Prospects like Colin Moran (third base) or Max Stassi (catcher) could be attractive to Chicago in a deal for Samardzija, as could a pitching prospect such as Mark Appel, who hasn't developed as quickly as the Astros had hoped and has been surpassed by the likes of Lance McCullers Jr. and Vincent Velasquez on the organizational depth chart.
Will the Astros Add Another Bat?
10 of 10
Update: Saturday, July 18 at 5:12 a.m. ET
MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tweets that finding another bat has become "a growing point of focus," per GM Jeff Luhnow.
With Chris Carter suffering a sprained ankle on Friday night, first base remains an area the club could look to boost, as previous mentioned. Adding someone that could provide more oomph from the designated hitter spot or in center field could also be an option.
Thankfully, the Astros still have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, so they should be able to add both the bat they seek and the front-line starter they need.
--End of Update--
Thursday, July 16 at 8:57 a.m. ET
First base has quietly been an issue in Houston, with neither Chris Carter nor Jon Singleton providing much at the plate. Whether measuring production at the position by OPS or FanGraphs' wRC+ metric, Astros' first basemen have been among the least productive in baseball thus far.
While noting that Carter is notorious for having strong second halves and that Singleton hasn't really gotten a chance to perform this year, Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow told the Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellichthat time is not on their side.
"I'm not sure we can wait all year for something to come if it's not coming. Ultimately, if we make the decision that we're not getting enough production from the guys on the roster right now, we have to consider outside options."
But the market isn't exactly flush with potential upgrades at the position.
Drellich suggests that San Diego's Yonder Alonso could be a target, and while his on-base skills would be a welcome addition for a team that ranks 22nd in on-base percentage (.306), he doesn't offer much in the way of power and may not actually be available.
Colorado's Wilin Rosario could be available, but the former catcher is still learning the position and his numbers away from Coors Fieldleave much to be desired. Milwaukee's Adam Lind might be the team's most realistic target, as his left-handed bat would form a platoon with the right-handed Carter.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Most Likely Post-June 1 Trade Candidates 👋")
