Astros could make Jeremy Pena trade decision with sensible Kyle Tucker link

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Astros could make Jeremy Pena trade decision with sensible Kyle Tucker link originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Houston Astros are having a nightmare 2026 season. The combination of injuries and struggles from the pitching staff has culminated in a 17-27 record that has Houston well outside of the postseason hunt.

But there is still plenty of time to turn things around. However, if the Astros can't right the ship, and they are still well out of the postseason hunt come the August 3rd trade deadline, some tough decisions might have to be made.

Dayn Perry of CBS Sports highlighted a few different Astros who could be on the move, and made an interesting comparison between Jeremy Pena's situation with Houston and Kyle Tucker's a few years ago.

"You'll recall that in December of 2024, the Astros traded away Kyle Tucker with a full year of arbitration eligibility remaining," Perry writes. "This would be a similar situation, except the acquiring team would be paying to also get Pena for the stretch drive and postseason prior to that full final year of control."

This comparison of situations, while slightly different, does actually present the Astros with a good idea if the 2026 season continues to unravel.

Astros linked to Jeremy Pena trade choice with Kyle Tucker link​

While the Astros want to avoid trading away players, if the season goes south, moving on from a few expiring players makes a ton of sense.

But, even with someone like Pena, who is under club control for the 2027 season, he should also be worth exploring a trade with.

If the Astros could get a return like what they got for Tucker in 2024 from the Chicago Cubs, then this Pena trade would be worth making.

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Of course, Pena needs to return to the Major Leagues and play well for a team to be willing to offer such a lucrative package for Pena.

But, a shortstop with good defense and high-upside offense is well worth adding for a contender that needs help at the most premier position in the infield.

There is bound to be a team or two interested, so the Astros could fetch a huge return for Pena if they do trade him. While he might not draw the same huge return that Tucker got, he should still bring back a return at this year's deadline that makes him worth trading.

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