The Houston Astros have been through quite a roller coaster ride over the last few months. It began with the offseason trade of Kyle Tucker that landed the team two controllable young stars in Isaac Parades and Cam Smith.
Houston would proceed to chase a new contract with veteran third baseman Alex Bregman before the star bolted for a bigger and better contract with the Boston Red Sox. Both Tucker and Bregman have thrived in their roles with their new clubs.
But the Astros haven't been too shabby themselves. In fact, they've seen quite a bit of success this season. What's been working the most for the Astros this season?
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What's working for the Astros so far
You can't mention the Astros without discussing the two-headed monster at the top of their starting rotation. Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown have been magnificent for the Astros this season, and there's nothing to indicate that either player will regress soon. Brown ranks among baseball's best in nearly every advanced statistic, including Pitching Run Value and xERA, according to Baseball Savant.
Jeremy Peña and Paredes have been excellent on the left side of Houston's infield. On the season, Peña is slashing .297/.363/.445 with an OPS over .800 and a WAR of 3.0. He's provided good defense as well. Paredes is slashing .267/.369/.475 with an OPS better than Peña and an incredible Batting Run Value.
Houston's bullpen has been good, too. Josh Hader has seemingly returned to the dominant form that he was for years with the Milwaukee Brewers. Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, and Bryan King have been excellent for the Astros as well. All in all, the bullpen has been quite dominant.
But where are the Astros struggling?
Where the Astros are falling short
Losing Bregman and Tucker hurt quite a bit. Paredes has filled the hole left by Bregman, but it' unclear how long he's going to be able to keep this pace.
The starting rotation beyond Brown and Valdez has been mediocre at best. They're going to need to bring in a starter at the trade deadline or they won't be able to trot out a confident postseason rotation in a few months.
The biggest issue in Houston has been its stars. The stars haven't performed that way which has led to the team feeling the losses of Bregman and Tucker that much more. Jose Altuve has looked lost in the outfield while posting a negative WAR. Yordan Alvarez has struggled for most of the season while posting a negative WAR, too. Christian Walker, Houston's big free agent addition, has an OPS under .650 and a negative WAR, too.
What does that mean for the Astros' trade deadline approach?
Astros trade deadline watch
Houston is almost certainly going to be active at the deadline. But it's not going to be massive fixes. They could use another starting pitcher or two to help anchor the rotation. They could also use a bullpen arm.
But the issues with this team revolve around star players. The Astros aren't going to trade for a plyer to replace Altuve, Alvarez, or Walker. They're simply going to hope these stars figure it out before it's too late.
So, for the Astros' trade deadline approach, I would expect them to go after a starting pitcher, potentially Erick Fedde of the St. Louis Cardinals or Nick Martinez of the Cincinnati Reds. Both are expiring pitchers who would provide a lot of reliability and consistency in Houston.
Don't expect the Astros to be too aggressive though.