The Houston Astros have dealt with a plethora of injuries this season. From multiple starting pitchers missing significant time to the injuries plaguing the top offensive talents, Houston has seen far too many injuries this season.
Amid their latest injury, a "pretty serious" injury to All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes, the Astros could be forced to look for a third baseman at the trade deadline.
With the deadline a week away, the Astros were linked by ESPN's Jorge Castillo to a potential Paredes replacement at the trade deadline.
"Add the Astros to the list of contenders looking for a third baseman." Castillo writes. "With All-Star Isaac Paredes expected to miss significant time because of what manager Joe Espada described as a "pretty serious" right hamstring strain, the Astros have begun poking around for an available third baseman. One of them is Rockies' Ryan McMahon, who has drawn interest from a few other clubs."
It's a clear issue for the Astros, and while Paredes could be back, this report hints at the severity of the issue. If the Astros invest heavily in their third base position at the deadline, it could point towards Paredes missing most of the rest of the season.
Otherwise, Houston, with their limited assets, wouldn't make a move to land a player like McMahon, who is under team control through the 2027 season thanks to his six-year, $70 million contract.
The 30-year-old Rockies All-Star has been a solid infielder and is drawing trade interest once again. With the Rockies in dead last, they could look to move McMahon for a solid return.
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Houston would have to pay a decent price tag to land McMahon. With Castillo linking him to the Astros, the concerns surrounding Paredes might be more than previously thought.
While it's premature to call Paredes' injury season-ending, if the Astros spend a lot of their limited trade chips on a Paredes replacement, it would indicate the Astros' All-Star might not be back anytime soon.
At the plate this season, while he hasn't been as good as Paredes, McMahon has been solid. He has a .217 batting average with a .717 OPS and a 92 OPS+, eight percent worse than the league average.
But he has 16 home runs and has showcased strong defense at third base as well. He's drawn interest from teams around the league, and while he's not at the level of Eugenio Suarez, McMahon is one of the more coveted players at the trade deadline.
According to Castillo's report, the Astros are interested in landing McMahon to take over at third base. He's a left-handed hitter that the Astros are looking for, and would provide good defense and decent hitting in Paredes' absence.
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