The Houston Astros have a message for any team hoping to pry away Jeremy Peña or Christian Walker before the trade deadline: don’t bother.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Astros have made it clear to other clubs that asking about those two players is a waste of time. Houston sits at 36-42 after going 5-5 in their last ten games. But they’re only three games back in the AL West, a division where only the Seattle Mariners are above .500. So instead of selling, they’re planning to buy.
The Astros want bullpen help and a left-handed hitting outfielder. That’s the word. They’ve been hit hard by injuries all season, and the early struggles had people wondering if this was finally the year Houston hit reset. But the front office isn’t buying that narrative. They still believe in the core they’ve built.
Walker and Peña are part of that core. Through 77 games, Walker is hitting .240 with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs. Not a crazy average, but the power is there. Peña has appeared in 40 games this season and is batting .284 with six homers, 18 RBIs and five stolen bases. Both guys are under team control, both are productive, and both are apparently not going anywhere.
This is a team that’s made the ALCS six times in the last eight years. They’ve won two World Series. So when they say they’re buyers, it’s not just talk. They’ve been in this situation before — banged up, under .500, written off — and they’ve found a way to get hot in the second half. The front office clearly thinks they can do it again.
But there’s a lot of work to do. The rotation has been shaky at times, the bullpen could use another arm, and the lineup has been inconsistent. Adding a lefty bat would help balance things out, especially with the way the division is shaping up. No one in the AL West is running away with anything. The Astros have a path, even if it doesn’t look like one from the outside.
For now, teams calling about Peña and Walker might as well hang up. The Astros aren’t listening.
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