The way the Houston Astros are going in the AL West, they don’t look like a team that “needs” anything. They certainly don’t require a major rebuild or a reshuffle. But while it might not be evident on the surface, there is one missing piece that can help them sustain themselves in the playoff spotlight. It’s now being discussed internally as the reigning division champs head towards the trade deadline.

The thing is, currently the Astros’ lineup is heavily right-handed. And even though their lineup has been going well, the opposing teams, at some point, will come up with their plans to dominate the Astros’ right-handed players. The imbalance is now difficult to ignore.

Well, the Astros haven’t lost their groove yet. But as the trade deadline looms, the General Manager Dana Brown, won’t let this strategic vulnerability get in the way of October glory.

He didn’t hide the situation during the team’s pre-game show. “It’s no secret it’d be good to get a left-handed bat. No doubt about that. That’s the big thing for us,” Brown said while speaking with Chandler Rome. He continued, “We’re having discussions about other things, but the one big issue for us is it’d be nice to get a left-handed bat.”

It does make sense if you think about it. They are holding tight to their AL West lead, and if it requires, they’d go all in for what will help them to balance their roster. Of late, the AL West has no such lineup that has fewer at-bats from the left-handers than the 306 the Astros have taken. So, naturally, the team is eyeing their promising lefty prospects and even the players across other MLB teams.

And, why not? Currently the only active left-handers and switch-hitters on the Astros’ roster are Cooper Hummel, Victor Caratini, Cesar Salazar and Luis Guillorme. However, they are not offering the kind of left-handed threat the team and Dana Brown need right now.

How can the Astros do the lineup fixing?

Since the active lefties aren’t aligning with the team’s goals, the Astros have been making some other moves for the time being. They are now actively watching their No. 2 prospect, Jacob Melton. Before he made it to the injured list, his slash line was .241/.290/.310 across 11 regular season games. He has displayed unmatched speed and energy in the past. The team is looking at him as their postseason hope.

Coming to Yordan Alvarez, he is expected to make a return soon. His absence imbalanced the lineup. Back in may, he fractured his right hand and has been on the sidelines since then. Before the setback, his slash line was .210/.306/.340 with 3 home runs across 29 games. It’s certainly not good enough but still the team will get some help post his return.

In his absence, the Astros have been making the most of the switch-hitting backup catcher Victor Caratini. The question that now arises is if the Houston Astros have enough payroll flexibility and trade capital in order to get some acquisitions at the trade deadline. Let’s wait and watch each move of the Astros as the trade deadline approaches.