The Houston Astros might've lost their final series before the All-Star break, but at 56-40, they've been one of the best and, frankly, most surprising teams of the MLB season thus far. They lost both Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker over the offseason and have been without Yordan Alvarez virtually all year, and yet they have a five-game lead in the AL West and look like clear World Series threats. An active trade deadline would not only improve their World Series odds, but it'd also allow the Astros to part with several underperforming players.
The needs on this team are quite simple. First and foremost, the Astros need starting pitching. They've been as beaten up with injuries as any team at that position, so reinforcements are needed. Second, they need a left-handed bat. Alvarez is really their only potent left-handed hitter, and it's anyone's best guess as to when he'll be back healthy.
Assuming the Astros address their main deadline needs, those moves, combined with the return of a couple of their injured players, should lead to these four players being off the roster by the time the trade deadline is over.
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4) Kenedy Corona, outfielder
Injuries to Alvarez, Jake Meyers, Chas McCormick and Jacob Melton forced the Astros to dig deep in their depth, and that's resulted in Kenedy Corona receiving his first taste of the big leagues. It's fun to see Corona, a 25-year-old who has spent six seasons in the Minors, get his first call-up, but it feels as if it'll be short-lived.
Corona started on the night of his call-up and went 0-for-2 with a walk. He then proceeded to sit in each of Houston's next five games leading to the All-Star break. He entered two of those games and had one at-bat, but overall, he doesn't have much of a role on this team.
If Corona isn't playing now with all of the Astros' outfield injuries, it's hard to envision him lasting for very long. With McCormick nearing his return from the IL, it's easy to assume Corona will be the guy sent down to Triple-A.
3) Taylor Trammell, outfielder
Taylor Trammell is another outfielder who has played more than Astros fans envisioned thanks to the injuries, but he hasn't done much with the opportunity he's been given. In the 14 games he's appeared in, Trammell has just five hits in 32 at-bats (.132 batting average). Three of those hits have gone for extra bases, but still: 5-for-32 with 13 strikeouts is just not good enough.
Unfortunately, this fits what MLB fans have seen from Trammell throughout his big-league career. In parts of five MLB seasons, the 27-year-old has hit .166 with a .626 OPS and a 37 percent strikeout rate. He was once an exciting prospect, but his game hasn't translated to the Majors.
Not only is McCormick due back sooner rather than later, but the Astros will likely acquire an outfielder by the time the deadline rolls around. Corona should go down first, but Trammell shouldn't be far behind.
2) Kaleb Ort, relief pitcher
The Astros' bullpen has been an under-discussed strength for the team this season, but that doesn't mean every reliever that the Astros have handed the ball to has thrived. Kaleb Ort is an example of that.
He's been with the team for most of the season, but he has a 5.74 ERA in 29 appearances and 26.2 innings of work. He looked good for the Astros down the stretch of last season, but the 2025 campaign has been closer to the pitcher Ort was throughout parts of five seasons in the Majors.
He might be out of options, but Ort is one of the few members of this bullpen that the Astros should have little to no confidence in. Virtually every contender looks to add bullpen help this time of year. Assuming the Astros add a reliever, Ort should be the pitcher to lose his roster spot.
1) Brice Matthews, infielder
The Astros recalled their top prospect, Brice Matthews, for his MLB debut the weekend before the All-Star break. He started two of Houston's three games against the Texas Rangers and went 0-for-7 with five strikeouts. Obviously, a seven-at-bat sample size isn't nearly large enough to come to any conclusions, but given Matthews' astronomical strikeout rate in the Minor Leagues, it felt as if he wasn't exactly ready for the Majors to begin with.
He's with the big-league team because of injuries to a slew of middle infielders, mainly Jeremy Pena, but Pena is expected to return from the IL shortly after the All-Star break if not immediately so. When Pena returns, there's a good chance the Astros will use Mauricio Dubon regularly at second base, forcing Matthews to the bench.
Rather than letting their top prospect sit on the bench, the Astros would simply be better off demoting him back to Triple-A, giving him more time to develop. He's only 23 years old, after all. Matthews might be a cornerstone for the Astros sometime soon, but he probably shouldn't be in the everyday lineup for a team attempting to win the World Series.