The Houston Astros begin the 2026 season on Thursday afternoon at home against the Los Angeles Angels. It is going to be a different-looking Astros team than the one that ended the 2025 season missing the playoffs.
Gone is left-hander pitcher Framber Valdez, signing with the Detroit Tigers in free agency. General manager Dana Brown traded for Mike Burrows from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-team trade in December. He then added Japanese star Tatsuya Imai to a three-year, $54 million contract.
There are going to be a lot of eyes on Houston this season with their starting staff. Can they fill the void left by Valdez, or is it going to be too big a loss to overcome? In the end, it wasn’t as big an offseason as some thought the Astros would have after missing the postseason. It feels like there will be a move coming at some point this season. However, Mike Axisa of CBS Sports believes it could be coming sooner, rather than later.
Houston Astros Predicted To Trade Isaac Paredes Early in 2026 Season
One name that was floated in a lot of trade rumors over the winter was infielder Isaac Paredes. There were multiple teams reportedly involved in trying to acquire him this past offseason. Axisa believes that Dana Brown will trade his All-Star infielder in the next couple of weeks.
“This bold prediction has a deadline. April 14 is the first day of the Astros’ second homestand, and I say Paredes will be traded between now and then. Houston has been trying to untangle their infield since November, and there are only so many ways to do it,” Axisa wrote.
Houston has a handful of veteran infielders on their roster, including Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Jeremy Peña, who are not going to go anywhere. That’s the core for manager Joe Espada this year, not only in the infield, but also in the locker room. That leaves Christian Walker and Paredes as infielders who could be moved. Walker’s expensive contract makes it highly unlikely that a team would take that one. Furthermore, that leaves Paredes, a two-time all-star.
“It is not often notable trades are made in early April, but they do happen (the Quinn Priester trade was last April 7, for example). I predict Paredes will be involved in one within the next two weeks. I’ve always liked the Red Sox as a fit. For bold prediction purposes, where doesn’t matter. Just that Paredes gets traded before April 14,” Axisa wrote.
Boston Red Sox Unlikely Trade Partner for Astros With Isaac Paredes
Axisa mentioned the Boston Red Sox as a fit. That made sense over the winter. Not now. The Red Sox needed Paredes after Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs. After not being able to strike a deal with Houston, Boston Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow pivoted to Caleb Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Red Sox have what Brown and the Astros need: a left-handed hitting outfielder. Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu were logical options over the winter. They still could be, but Boston doesn’t need Paredes right now with their infield depth.
However, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t kick the tires on it again. Paredes is expected to be moved at some point. It feels like it’s just a matter of time. The only question is where?
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