The Houston Astros have taken Major League Baseball by storm this season, and with the July 31st trade deadline just a couple of weeks away, the American League West-leading Astros are looking to make some notable trades and additions to their roster.
After the off-season saw them trade away Kyle Tucker and lose Alex Bregman to free agency, Houston has received great contributions from the top of their rotation. Hunter Brown is an AL Cy Young contender, and Framber Valdez is putting together another solid season.
It was reported that the Arizona Diamondbacks are making some of their better players available in the trade market, and the Astros will certainly make some calls on a couple of those players.
Diamondbacks’ Josh Naylor Heads to Houston in Trade Idea
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor is a perfect trade chip for the Houston Astros. With Yordan Alvarez missing pretty much the entirety of the season thus far, Houston could use a lefty slugger who can hit for some power.
With the new details emerging today from Bob Nightengale of USAToday, players like Naylor, Eugenio Suárez, and a couple of D-Backs starters are expected to be made available at this year’s deadline.
Naylor signed a one-year, $10.9 million deal this offseason with Arizona after tearing it up with the Cleveland Guardians for five seasons. However, it is now expected that Naylor will be moved before even completing a season with the Snakes.
While it was originally reported that AL West rival Seattle Mariners were linked to Naylor, it is truly anyone’s game.
Diamondbacks Have Had a Rough Season
What led to the Arizona Diamondbacks becoming sellers is the unfortunate season they have had. Arizona came into this season with aspirations, at least on paper, to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. However, they are now five games under .500, and in such a tough NL, it seems unfeasible for them to go on a torrid run and get into a Wild Card spot.
For Naylor, he has a .295 average this season to go along with 11 home runs and 58 runs batted in. So, despite the slight dip in power as opposed to the 31 home runs he hit with the Cleveland Guardians last season, Naylor is still a highly productive hitter. His OPS is .823 and has an on-base percentage of over .360. Naylor was named to his first All-Star appearance in 2024.
What Would Houston Have to Give Up?
Well, luckily for the Houston Astros, Naylor is set to be a free agent again after this season. This means they would not have to give up as much prospect capital, and could then evaluate if they would want to resign Naylor. It’d likely cost them a mid-tier prospect or a young MLB player on their roster right now, but regardless, the asking price would not be too high, as the Arizona Diamondbacks are looking for players they can develop in the future.
With the deadline looming, look for Houston to be active buyers and in the market for either a left-handed bat or a first baseman. Naylor just happens to fit both of those parameters and would be a great fit to slot in the middle of the Astros’ order.
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