While replacing Yuli Gurriel with Jose Abreu looked like a major upgrade at the time said contract was agreed upon this winter, that's been anything but the case. Abreu hasn't been hitting well, slashing just .229/.279/.308 so far this season.
Abreu was on a slight downward trend to begin the year, but no one saw this kind of decline coming. The 36-year-old is in a battle with father time, and it's starting to look like he might not come out on top. CBS Sports' recent synopsis of Abreu's struggles suggests why Houston is unhappy, and why his future with the Astros is as murky as ever.
"Abreu had a six-game hot streak earlier this month, going 11 for 27 (.407) with three home runs from June 8-14, but he took a 2 for 19 (.105) slump and a .224/.279/.309 season batting line into Tuesday night's game. He has been one of the least productive first baseman in baseball and there are troubling signs aplenty. Abreu's chase rate spiked over the 28.5% MLB average in the middle of last season and it has remained elevated," Mike Axisa wrote.
Per Jim Bowden of The Athletic, it's not absurd to think that the Astros could move off of Abreu as soon as the trade deadline, if they can.
"It looks like age and decline have caught up with Abreu, 36. If the Astros can get out from under some of the $39 million they'll owe him in 2024 and 2025, they will."
Bowden went on to comment on how Andrew Vaughn, another trade candidate, has all but replaced Abreu's production with the White Sox.
Houston will want to buy, as well, in their quest for a repeat World Series appearance. But it won't come easily.
At the beginning of this season, most pundits agreed that the St. Louis Cardinals would be buyers at this year's trade deadline, and arguably the favorites in the NL Central. That has turned out to be anything but the truth, and now the Cards could actually sell off some assets at the deadline in hopes of retooling the current core with an eye towards next year.
While second baseman/outfielder Brendon Donovan is beloved within the organization - and was previously assumed untouchable - a trade wouldn't be so shocking, after all. Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports that if the Cards do decide to sell off a number of their assets, Donovan could be one of them because of his versatility and value on the market.
"Donovan's versatility makes him attractive to every contending team. The Gold Glove Award winner has reached base at a .361 clip this season and when the Cardinals call looking for pitching upgrades, teams often ask for him as part of a return package. Donovan is under team control through 2028."
Bowden, a former general manager himself, knows how unlikely this trade remains. Donovan is under team control for quite some time, and St. Louis still believes in this core group of players. Donovan is a member of that core, and a winning player the organization can count on for years to come should they choose.
But it's yet another reminder that no one - not even Donovan - is off-limits for the right asking price.
The San Francisco Giants are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now, but not hot enough to warrant a buying at the trade deadline, apparently. Farhan Zaidi and this Giants front office knows exactly what this team's ceiling is, and while they are playing well right now, that could all change come late-July. It proves that much can change between now and the trade deadline.
Michael Conforto is a candidate for MLB's comeback player of the year. He's been one of the best outfielders in baseball, and could very well represent the Giants in Seattle at the midsummer classic. That makes his contract all the more valuable.
"A candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, Conforto has hit 12 homers, scored 37 runs and had 37 RBIs after missing the entire 2022 season. He has an opt-out clause in his contract after this season. The Giants would like to keep him long term, but if they falter, they could trade him," Jim Bowden writes.
San Francisco risks alienating the fanbase should they trade away a player like Conforto while they are winning. He's been vocal on and off the field, and this team continues to prove pundits - like myself - wrong. Most of us assumed the Giants would fall in line behind San Diego, Los Angeles and even Arizona in the NL West pecking order.
Instead, they're just 2.5 games back of the Diamondbacks and fighting for an NL Wild Card spot. Surely, that has to be worth some good will with the front office, right?