What should be a position of strength has become a costly headache for the Houston Astros, and Isaac Paredes is at the center. The team is in for an infield logjam ahead of Opening Day. The situation puts pressure on GM Dana Brown to act fast.
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Currently, five infielders are competing for four spots in the Astros camp. Among Isaac Paredes, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Jeremy Peña, and Christian Walker, Paredes is on the roster bubble. He is the most logical trade piece. But successful trade talks have eluded Brown and the Astros.
“The necessary move is to trade third baseman Isaac Paredes for a left-handed-hitting outfielder, an idea the Astros have discussed most thoroughly with the Boston Red Sox, according to people briefed on the discussions. Talks stalled, however, and the clubs have not been in recent contact,” reported Ken Rosenthal via The Athletic.
Third baseman Paredes signed a one-year, $9.35 million contract with the Astros in February to avoid arbitration. The deal includes a $13.35 million team option for 2027 that becomes mutual if he places in the top 10 of MVP voting in 2026. But Paredes becomes a free agent at the end of the 2028 season.
With the infield logjam and Paredes having only two years left before free agency, this is the ideal time to trade him.
The Astros are looking at a roster imbalance with too many infielders and not enough outfielders. So, Brown would be interested in receiving a lefty outfielder if the Paredes trade is successful. However, the Boston Red Sox’s interest reportedly dwindled after signing Caleb Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers.
With Paredes slashing .254/.352/.458 in 102 games, hitting 20 homers and recording 53 RBIs last season, Brown would want to make the most of the trade deal. But with no further talks as of now, the general manager has a tough call to make.
According to Rosenthal, Brown has offered a way out.
“We have guys like Altuve, who don’t have to play second base all the time. We can put him in left field or at DH. The at-bats are there. We have to give the guys proper rest. The way I calculated the scenario, these guys could play 120-145 games, depending on how they are physically.”
But Altuve is only 612 hits short of 3000.
He has played 153 and 155 games in the last two seasons and won’t likely be a fan of Brown’s solution. Paredes, too, would definitely not want to reduce his value two years before free agency.
Altuve is signed through the 2029 season on a five-year, $125 million deal. He is a more difficult trade piece.
The Astros owe him nearly twice as much as Paredes over the next two years.
Brown, who recently saved more than $6 million in the Jesús Sánchez-Joey Loperfido trade, now faces a costly headache.
The Astros acquired Paredes along with starting pitcher Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith when they traded Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in December 2024. The franchise clearly has a history of trading from a position of surplus.
But now, for Dana Brown to trade Paredes, he needs a suitable trade partner or partners first.
The St. Louis Cardinals have outfielders fitting the Astros’ interest
This offseason, while trading Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners, the Cardinals entered a three-team trade deal with the Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Now, Houston might have to do the same to trade Isaac Paredes, and the Cardinals could again feature in a three-team deal.
St. Louis has two left-handed outfielders, Lars Nootbaar and Alec Burleson – any one of them could fill the Astros’ outfield gap.
However, Rosenthal pointed out in his column, “Paredes isn’t a fit for a rebuilding club like St. Louis, so the Astros would need to find a taker elsewhere in a three-team arrangement. That’s the kind of concept Brown should be revisiting.”
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credits: MLB.COM
Burleson slashed an impressive .290/.343/.459 with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs last season. Defensively, mostly played at first base but can play the outfield as well. Nootbar, a better outfielder, however, is coming from a batting dip in 2025.
He slashed just .234/.325/.361 with 13 homeruns but a career high 48 RBIs.
Given all that, Dana Brown has to decide whether he needs the bat or the defense more.
As for Paredes, despite having Durbin in the team, the Red Sox are still the most suitable club. Boston could play Paredes at third and Durbin at second by skipping Marcelo Mayer. The Pittsburgh Pirates can also be another team in the deal.
They have reportedly offered catcher Joey Bart, but the Houston Astros may agree if the trade includes top pitching prospects, too. That list could involve top left-handed pitching prospect Hunter Barco and utility player Jared Triolo, and the Astros could send cash considerations along with Isaac in the trade.
While speculation is mounting, only time can confirm what awaits Dana Brown and Isaac Paredes.