Astros’ pursuit of Marlins lefty bat hits major roadblock

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Astros’ pursuit of Marlins lefty bat hits major roadblock originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The trade deadline usually highlights what a contending team is missing. For the Houston Astros, that missing piece is a reliable left-handed hitter. They currently hold a 2.5-game lead in the AL West after winning 10 of their last 11 games, but the lineup remains heavily right-handed and older.

To protect that division lead, the front office spent the days leading up to Monday's deadline in serious trade talks with the Miami Marlins regarding outfielder Kyle Stowers.

The Astros were engaged in ongoing discussions with Miami, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman, who called Stowers "the extra lefty bat Houston needs." But that pursuit collapsed before the 6 p.m. ET deadline hit. Miami set a steep asking price and, according to Heyman, was "not especially motivated to move" its All-Star outfielder.

Right before the deadline closed, Kevin Barral of Fish on First reported that the Marlins were ultimately keeping Stowers, adding, "There were some rumblings that Stowers could potentially be on the move ahead of the trade deadline, but that appears unlikely at this juncture. Anything is possible, but Stowers is probably going to stay in Miami after they moved backstop Liam Hicks earlier in the day."

Stowers, 28, is a big power hitter who had a massive breakout season last year. In 2025, he made the All-Star team and smacked 25 home runs.

This year has been a bit tougher on him. An early hamstring injury slowed him down. While his batting average dropped a bit to .234, his raw power is still there. He has already hit 16 home runs and driven in 48 runs through 88 games. Even though he cooled off after a hot summer streak, his ability to clear the fences is exactly why teams want him.

The main draw for Houston was that Stowers wouldn't just be a short-term rental. He is under team control through 2029, so a trade would have given the Astros years of stability instead of just a temporary postseason boost.

He has also logged significant playing time at first base this year. That flexibility would have made him a reliable backup behind Christian Walker, who is locked into his contract through 2027. Unfortunately, the two teams failed to reach an agreement.

More MLB news:​

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• Brewers acquire Guardians catcher Bo Naylor in deadline trade
• Rangers make major shift in trade deadline plans amid 'off-limits' update
• How Aaron Judge is the real focus of the Yankees' trade deadline plans
• Astros lose another trade target after Tarik Skubal miss

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