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2 Trade Targets Who Could Be Perfect Fits for the Astros
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- 2 Trade Targets Who Could Be Perfect Fits for the Astros
Dana Brown | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Things are trending toward the Houston Astros becoming buyers at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. They helped their cause on Monday night with a big 6-4 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Angels after scoring four runs in the top of the ninth inning.
It was a win that Houston needed to have, and it was their sixth win in their last seven games since being swept by the Baltimore Orioles coming out of the All-Star break. With two potential paths to the playoffs, either by winning the American League West Division or an AL wild-card spot, the Astros appear to be peaking at the right time.
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The trade deadline is six days away and unless they fall apart against the Angels and at home over the weekend against the first-place Texas Rangers , general manager Dana Brown is going to buy, rather than sell .
If he looks to address a glaring need ahead of the trade deadline, he has a pair of options with the Colorado Rockies .
Astros Have Two Rockies Trade Targets
Jake McCarthy | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This is a rather big trade deadline for Brown and manager Joe Espada. Both could be considered on the hot seat and if they fail to make the playoffs for a second straight season, jobs could be in jeopardy.
Expect an aggressive deadline.
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One need that Houston has is for an outfielder and a left-handed hitting one. Brown has a potential trade partner with the Colorado Rockies' first-year president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta.
The Astros would like to swing big to add a bat, but that might not be possible. That's where the Rockies come in. DePodesta has two left-handed-hitting outfielders who could be had in Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak .
McCarthy is a veteran who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks over the offseason and is having a breakout season in Denver. Could some of that be because of Coors Field? Maybe, but it's hard to ignore what he has done. McCarthy already has a career-high in home runs with 10 and RBIs with 58. He's slashing .298/.340/.502 with a 1.4 WAR.
One area that is key when it comes to McCarthy is that he's under team control and is arbitration-eligible through the 2028 season. Two more years of team control are key.
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As for Moniak, he played in just 69 games, but the 28-year-old has 16 home runs and 43 RBIs while slashing .277/.322/.553. He is on pace to set career highs in home runs and RBIs, but like McCarthy, is it because of Coors Field or not? That's something the Astros and other teams looking to acquire either player must answer.
Like McCarthy, Moniak is under team control for next season and isn't eligible to become an unrestricted free agent until 2028.
There are going to be options for Brown to add, but either McCarthy or Moniak is a player who could fill that need. Buying early is something Houston should consider.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/astros/onsi as 2 Trade Targets Who Could Be Perfect Fits for the Astros .
