Houston Astros: 1 trade to make, 1 trade to avoid

Apr 2, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker Jr., right, takes the ball from starting pitcher Cristian Javier during the a pitching change in the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball game at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports /

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Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

1 trade to avoid: OF Joey Gallo

The biggest loss the Astros have had this past winter was losing starting center fielder George Springer in free agency to the Toronto Blue Jays. While outfield is not their biggest priority, you would think the team would try to address it. If they are, they should avoid looking at Joey Gallo from the rival Rangers.

Gallo was a hyped up trade candidate at the start of the season, due to the Ranger being in a rebuild. While he can swing for the fences, Gallo has the propensity to strike out…a lot. In 2021, that still is an issue, as he currently has the third-most strikeouts in the league with 81 as of this writing.

Through 62 games this season, the Rangers slugger is slashing just .220/.380/.405 while recording 11 home runs, 28 RBI, 34 runs scored and 45 hits.

While the Astros are missing Springer’s production in the batters box, they do not need to do anything drastic. That includes trading for Gallo, whom the Rangers are going to have a high price tag for, especially if they were going to trade him in-division. Let the San Diego Padres pay a premium for Gallo, whom have reported interest in the outfielder.

The Astros would be better off looking elsewhere, such as Starling Marte of the Miami Marlins. But as mentioned previously, the Astros need to focus on improving the bullpen.

Next. Eloy Jimenez cleared to resume baseball activities, but still out for foreseeable future. dark

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