The Houston Astros look a lot different than they did the last time they won a World Series, but they’re a very legitimate threat to win it all again.
Despite the offseason losses of Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, plus injuries to Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, and half of the pitching staff, the Astros just keep plugging. Entering play on Friday, they had a 60-43 record and a five-game lead atop the American League West.
The Astros don’t necessarily need to do a lot before Thursday’s trade deadline, as most of those injured players are expected to eventually return. However, there are still some players who should have their heads on a swivel.
That includes, as one insider suspects, an outfielder who was a memorable part of that 2022 World Series run.
On Friday, The Athletic predicted one player per team who would be traded before the deadline, and Astros beat reporter Chandler Rome named outfielder Chas McCormick as the most likely Astro to be dealt.
“Houston’s major-league roster is so ravaged by injury that it’s difficult to envision any player getting moved, but McCormick makes the most sense if one does,” wrote Rome. “He is the odd man out of a full-strength Astros outfield, has one more season under club control and is making $3.4 million — not an insignificant sum for a Houston team that may have to move money around if owner Jim Crane doesn’t authorize crossing the luxury tax threshold.”
McCormick, 30, was good in 2022 and even better in 2023, posting a 3.5-win season with a 130 OPS+ in the latter year. And his most memorable moment as an Astro came in Game 5 of the Fall Classic, when he made a leaping grab of a would-be extra-base hit from Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto to preserve a 3-2 win.
But with a .561 OPS in 41 games this year, it’s hard to justify giving McCormick consistent at-bats these days. Perhaps some team believes he can recapture some of that magic with a change of scenery, in which case it makes sense for Houston to clear him off the active roster.
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