Astros get trade rumor on .763 OPS slugger that makes too much sense

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Astros get trade rumor on .763 OPS slugger that makes too much sense originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 season hasn't gone to plan for the Houston Astros, to the point that a sell-off at the MLB Trade Deadline is well within the realm of possibility.

But there is still some uncertainty about how far the Astros sell. Will Hunter Brown, Jeremy Pena, or even Yordan Alvarez be traded? It's unlikely, but that doesn't mean there aren't some valuable trade chips who could be on the move.

As CBS Sports' Dayn Perry highlighted, there's one .763 OPS slugger who is the "most likely" player the Astros will deal this season by the deadline. That player is Isaac Paredes.

"Paredes isn't the most lucrative of Houston trade pieces, but he's probably the most likely to be moved if they do undertake some level of sell-off this season," Perry writes.

If the Astros do wind up trading away players by the trade deadline, Paredes being shipped out would make too much sense for the Astros.

Astros trading Isaac Paredes would make too much sense​

The Astros are very likely to head into the trade deadline as sellers, and if they do, it would make a ton of sense if they shipped off Paredes.

He's under club control for only one more season, with his $13.35 million club option in 2027 an enticing factor for a team interested in the infielder.

Paredes is 27 years old and is a two-time All-Star. He's been on the move a lot lately, and another trade would not be a surprise this season.

He was rumored to be in trade talks all offseason, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him dealt if the 2026 season for Houston continues to go south.

So far in 2026, he's hitting .261 with a .721 OPS, which is slightly below his .763 OPS for his career. The reason why is clear, as he's not slugging as well as he has before in his career.

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He only has three home runs right now, which, through 39 games, would put him on a bleak 12-homer pace for the entire season if he keeps up this pace.

But, he's a better slugger than this, hitting 31 homers in a single season before in his career, and 20 last season in just 102 games. He has the ability to turn things around at the drop of a hat, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he began slugging more this year.

If he can play well leading up to the trade deadline, and the Astros are sellers, he's the exact kind of player that Dana Brown should part with at this year's deadline.

Perry highlighted Paredes as the "most likely" trade chip for the Astros. It makes too much sense to trade him this season, as it's likely when they can get the best value for him in a deal.

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