Story by
2 roster moves Astros must make after 2026 MLB trade deadline
- Story by
- 2 roster moves Astros must make after 2026 MLB trade deadline
2 roster moves Astros must make after 2026 MLB trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Houston Astros have climbed from 11 games below .500 to 60–57, winning 13 of their last 16 to take a 1.5-game lead in the AL West. The Astros' 2026 turnaround is real, but a minus-22 run differential underscores how fragile that advantage remains. Houston addressed center field by acquiring Daulton Varsho from the Toronto Blue Jays for Spencer Arrighetti , but it did not add pitching to a rotation that entered Friday with MLB's third-highest ERA. With conventional trades no longer available, the Astros must improve by configuring their existing arms more effectively.
Advertisement
Pair Tatsuya Imai and Ronel Blanco in one rotation turn
Houston should limit Ronel Blanco to three or four innings and schedule Tatsuya Imai to follow him for multiple frames. The Astros should not treat both right-handers as conventional rotation candidates during a close division race.
Blanco is still rebuilding following Tommy John surgery, and his first four starts have demonstrated why the Astros must control his exposure. He has recorded a 6.98 ERA, 7.23 FIP, and 1.34 WHIP through 19 1/3 innings while walking 13.6% of opposing hitters. Blanco has also surrendered 2.79 home runs per nine innings and allowed a 15.8% barrel rate.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
Advertisement
Most concerning, he has failed to complete five innings in three of his four outings. Asking Blanco to provide five or six innings gives an opponent too many opportunities to capitalize when his command disappears.
Imai has not earned an unconditional return to the rotation, either. His 5.55 ERA and 14.6% walk rate reflect the inconsistency that has defined his first MLB season. However, his 28.1% strikeout rate and 4.63 FIP show more promise beneath those uneven results.
His first relief appearance offered the Astros a blueprint. Imai threw three perfect innings , struck out five, and generated six whiffs on nine swings against his slider. Working in shorter bursts allowed him to simplify his six-pitch arsenal around his four-seam fastball and slider.
A scheduled tandem would let Blanco attack hitters without pacing himself or facing a lineup three times. Imai would enter with a defined assignment rather than functioning as a general long reliever. Hunter Brown , Peter Lambert , Hayden Wesneski , and Cristian Javier could retain the other four rotation turns.
Advertisement
The arrangement requires no transaction because both pitchers are on the active roster. More importantly, it would prepare them for the roles the Astros may need in October . If a postseason starter loses command in the third or fourth inning, the Astros would have two pitchers already accustomed to covering shorter assignments.
Houston does not need to decide which struggling starter deserves more patience. It needs to combine their best innings while limiting the damage created by their worst ones.
Recall Alimber Santa and option Bennett Sousa
The Astros should recall Alimber Santa from Triple-A Sugar Land and option Bennett Sousa, giving the 23-year-old right-hander an extended audition for the final postseason bullpen spot.
Advertisement
This would represent marginal optimization, not an indictment of Houston's bullpen. Sousa owns a respectable 3.38 ERA, but his underlying performance is less convincing. His 4.40 FIP and 5.61 xFIP both suggest regression, while a 15.2% walk rate makes him difficult to trust in a close game.
Santa carries uncertainty himself, particularly over such a limited major-league sample. Still, he recorded a 1.17 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 15 1/3 innings with the Astros. At Sugar Land, he owns a 2.61 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts across 31 innings.
The right-hander's fastball can reach 97 mph, and his fastball-slider combination offers more upside than Sousa's walk-heavy profile. Santa's nine major-league strikeouts and favorable batted-ball results caution against treating his 1.17 ERA as his established level. That is precisely why the Astros should evaluate him now instead of waiting until postseason roster decisions arrive.
Optioning Sousa would leave the Astros with three left-handers in Josh Hader , Steven Okert , and Bryan King . That is sufficient. Okert has established himself as the more dependable secondary option behind Hader, producing a 2.20 ERA with a 26.6% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate.
Advertisement
The roster mechanics are uncomplicated. Santa is already on the 40-man roster, while Sousa has an option remaining. The Astros can make the exchange without exposing either pitcher to waivers, and Sousa would remain available at Sugar Land if Santa falters.
Santa would compete with AJ Blubaugh and Enyel De Los Santos for middle innings while giving Houston another higher-velocity choice for the sixth or seventh. The final postseason bullpen position should go to the pitcher most capable of recording difficult outs, not the one who provides redundant handedness.
Houston does not need to force an offensive overhaul after adding Varsho . The Astros' remaining work is more precise. They must protect games from an unstable rotation and identify the best final reliever. Pairing Blanco with Imai and recalling Santa would give Houston a clearer pitching plan while reducing the risk that its most vulnerable unit erases a remarkable second-half recovery.
Related: Astros rumors: Houston linked to 2 recently DFA'd hitters
