The Houston Astros aren’t looking to blow things up despite sitting 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot with just under 100 games remaining.
General manager Dana Brown made it clear that star slugger Yordan Alvarez and shortstop Jeremy Pena aren’t going anywhere, even as trade rumors swirl around both players.
“We’ve had zero discussions about trading (Jeremy Pena or Yordan Alvarez) internally. We’ve had zero conversations. So we can’t go trading two pillars. Both those guys hit at the top of our lineup.”
Brown told Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle that the organization believes it’s still good enough to make a run.
It’s easy to see why other teams are interested. Alvarez ranks second in baseball with 22 home runs and leads all of baseball with a 1.066 OPS. That’s the kind of production that can transform a lineup overnight.
Pena brings his own value as a quality defensive shortstop who hits for average and impacts games with both power and speed. Both players represent the type of talent that can alter a season’s trajectory.
That’s exactly why Brown’s staying the course.
“To be sellers, for me, it would be like we failed. So I don’t think this team is a team that’s going to be sellers at the deadline. I think we’re good enough.”
The Astros clearly believe they’ve got enough time and talent to climb back into contention. With Alvarez leading the charge and nearly 100 games left on the schedule, they’re betting on their core rather than cashing in chips.
For now, interested clubs will have to look elsewhere for their deadline upgrades.
