Astros rumors: 3 division rivals we should trade for
By Drew Koch
Trading within one’s division isn’t always popular, but perhaps the Houston Astros should entertain making a deal for these three division rivals.
The Houston Astros are out in front in the competitive American League West, but anything can happen between now and October. The Astros may want to add a piece here or a piece there in the coming weeks and months, and looking to a division rival is an unconventional, yet plausible way to improve the team.
The Texas Rangers are floating near .500 and may be in the market to sell off some of their pieces. We know the Oakland Athletics are in full-on rebuild mode and will no doubt be sellers at the trade deadline. The Seattle Mariners were hoping to be competitive in 2022, but that has yet to materialize despite adding Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suárez, and Julio Rodriguez to the roster.
With those three teams in mind, are there any division rivals that might make a solid addition to the Houston Astros’ roster? Houston has a very good lineup and their starting rotation has been lights out as well. But there’s always room for improvement. Let’s check in on three possible division foes that would greatly improve the Astros’ playoff chances in 2022.
Astros should trade for division rival Paul Sewald
The Houston Astros bullpen ranks first in the American League in terms of ERA and they’ve allowed the fewest number of home runs so far this season. But you can never have enough good relievers, and Paul Sewald certainly qualifies as that.
The 32-year-old has been one of the Seattle Mariners most reliable relief pitchers in 2022. Sewald currently owns a 2.81 ERA and has 16 punch outs over 16 innings of work and an impressive 0.625 WHIP.
Sewald spent the first several seasons of his career with the New York Mets, but a horrific 2020 campaign saw him non-tendered the following winter. Sewald joined Seattle last season and put up fantastic numbers, whiffing 104 batters over 64.2 frames.
Paul Sewald is under team control for the next couple seasons, so this wouldn’t just be a rental for the 2022 season. While Ryan Pressly would assuredly remain firmly entrenched as the Astros’ closer, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have Sewald available late in games either.