The Houston Astros have been one of Major League Baseball’s biggest disappointments this season. They missed the playoffs in 2025, but were still very close to making it. The 2026 season has not been successful for them so far.
Given how badly they have struggled this season, there were even early rumors that Yordan Alvarez could be on the trading block. Teams may even show interest in Jeremy Pena and Christian Walker.
However, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Astros are not taking that approach and instead are doing something unexpected.
“The Houston Astros have told teams that they are wasting their time asking about shortstop Jeremy Peña and first baseman Christian Walker,” Nightengale wrote earlier this week.
“They may be a sub-.500 team, but plan to be buyers at the deadline, not sellers, in a division in which only the Seattle Mariners are above .500. They are searching for bullpen help and a left-handed hitting outfielder.”
Astros Not Giving Up on 2026
It appears that the Astros are not conceding anything this season. That might seem a little strange, considering where they are in the standings.
They are 37-42 and in fourth place in the American League West. However, they are only three games back of the Seattle Mariners for first place and two games back in the wild card race.
So, that alone is a reason for them to consider adding pieces rather than subtracting. They have a lot of big contracts on their hands, so selling might be a little bit difficult anyway. But the American League as a whole has been relatively weak this season, and that means that they could have a chance to sneak into a playoff spot.
Houston still has good players on its roster, so there is merit to them not giving up on 2026 just yet, especially with the current state of the American League. It should be a fun race leading up to the deadline and down the stretch, but as long as the Astros can stay healthy and within striking distance, buying at the deadline may not be a bad approach, even though their farm system could use a little bit of work.
The AL West only has one team above .500 in the Mariners, and they are only one game above that mark entering Monday’s action, so there are certainly reasons for the Astros to not give up hope just yet, so we’ll see where things stand in a few weeks.
Astros’ Playoff Success
Last year was the first time since 2016 that the Astros did not make the playoffs. Dating back to 2015, they have made it nine times in the last 11 years, and only twice have they not made it to at least the AL championship series. They have won two World Series titles in that span as well.
Therefore, the Astros still have a track record of being a good team, and it looks like for now, they want to stick with the plan and rely on their postseason track record to turn things around later on this season.
On paper, it’s still a solid team.
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