3. Trade for Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers
I will admit, this one may seem out there, but stick with me for a minute. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Los Angeles Dodgers are considering trading outfielder Yasiel Puig. The Astros do not have much of a need in the outfield, but the two sides would make sense in a possible trade scenario.
Puig has struggled hitting .256/.319/.386 on the season, but he is still a potentially game-changing right-handed hitter who can impact the game in a variety of ways. I do not think the Astros would give the Dodgers a huge haul in exchange for Puig, but I could see them taking a chance on his high upside bat for a relatively low cost.
Scott Feldman has been pitching out of the bullpen extremely well for the Astros, but he reportedly wants to be a full-time starting pitcher again. The Astros seem hesitant to give him that opportunity, but the Dodgers would have plenty of room to accommodate Feldman in their rotation.
A package of Feldman plus a couple of strong prospects could get the Dodgers to bite on a Puig trade with the Astros. Houston’s outfielders, led by Colby Rasmus, Carlos Gomez and George Springer, is strong, but adding Puig to the mix would give them some impressive upside.
Puig could also help them fill their need at designated hitter. For the right price, Puig would certainly make sense for the Astros. I would not advise them to get rid of any big-time players, but it would not hurt to check on the asking price.
Next: 2. Tampa Bay Rays