The Houston Astros have moved to the top of the American League after sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks. They also have a six-game lead in the AL West.
They will be buyers at the trade deadline, which is now a week away. They need pitching, but also a left-handed bat.
Activity should start to pick up over the next few days as teams try and upgrade their rosters or sell off assets. The Astros will look to put the rest of the AL West in the rearview mirror.
David Schoenfield of ESPN predicts that Houston will trade for Baltimore Orioles slugger Ryan O'Hearn.
"The Astros still hold a six-game lead in the AL West, continuing to play well through a long list of injuries, but general manager Dana Brown has talked about the need to add a left-handed hitter. O'Hearn could play left field for the Astros, who have been using Cooper Hummel, Taylor Trammell and defensive liability Jose Altuve in the outfield lately," Schoenfield wrote.
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O'Hearn was an All-Star for the first time this season. The veteran slugger is hitting .281/.374/.452 with 12 home runs, 37 RBI and an .826 OPS.
The Astros have been forced to rely on Altuve in left field, which hasn't worked out in their favor, so having somebody who can play the outfield better would be a major plus.
The Orioles are well out of postseason contention and will be selling off assets, including O'Hearn. Houston shouldn't have to give up too much for a rental bat, even with O'Hearn having a career year.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the Astros approach the deadline. A few key moves could separate them from the rest of the AL.
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