Astros trade proposal lands $75 million lefty outfielder

The Houston Astros' general manager, Dana Brown, recently revealed that his intentions are for the Astros to find a left-handed hitting bat in the trade market. With a need in left field, combining the two needs into one makes the most sense for Houston with their limited resources.

Brad Wakai of Sports Illustrated presented a trade proposal that would solve both of those issues. He proposed that the Astros should call up the Chicago White Sox for left-handed hitting outfielder Andrew Benintendi.

"... The Astros will be scouring the market for a more impactful left-handed hitter," Wakai writes. "And somebody who could be a new target of theirs is Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi."

One of the largest hurdles towards this proposal working for the Astros is the money Benintendi is owed. The outfielder has two more years of control left, not including 2025. He's getting paid $17.1 million in 2025 and 2026, while making $15 million in 2027.

The Astros are unlikely to want to pay all of that contract, but fortunately, the White Sox are open to eating some of that contract. That'd open the door for the Astros to make a move for the White Sox's left-handed outfielder.

Benintendi has had a wild career, helping the Boston Red Sox win a World Series while winning a Gold Glove in 2021 with the Kansas City Royals, and splitting time with the Royals and the New York Yankees in his lone All-Star season.

But in 2025, Benintendi has been a lot better than in his past few seasons. He has a .239 batting average, a .299 on-base percentage, a .440 slugging percentage, and a .739 OPS. In his previous two seasons, he was below a .700 OPS, but this year, he's been a lot better.

Wakai named Benintendi as a trade candidate because of his turnaround this season, and how the White Sox would be willing to eat some of his contract. With the Astros needing both a left fielder and a left-handed hitting player, Benintendi could solve both of those issues. Rarely can a team kill two birds with one stone, but this could be a chance for the Astros to do so.