Proposed blockbuster Astros trade sees Houston make deal with division rival, give outfield major facelift by acquiring $426 million three-time MVP

The Houston Astros have had a mediocre start to the 2026 season, going 2-2 in their first four games. While they have a star-studded infield, they have no help in the outfield.

If they want to be the American League power they used to be, they need a facelift for their outfield. FanSided’s Christopher Kline proposes that the Astros make a trade with a division rival and the team they started their season against, the Los Angeles Angels, for three-time MVP Mike Trout.

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“The Astros boast an oversaturated infield and an undersaturated outfield at the moment. Joey Loperfido is off to a fast start, but it remains unclear how much Houston can expect offensively from the likes of Jake Meyers and Cam Smith. Given their lack of depth options, too — the Jose Altuve experiment failed in spectacular fashion a year ago — the Astros ought to consider upgrades. Trout is probably too expensive for the modern-day Astros front office, which famously dealt Kyle Tucker to cut costs. But then again, this is still a competitive, veteran roster up against a ticking clock. Trout comes with risk, but with five years left on his deal, it's no longer a toxic, catastrophic long-term commitment. It could be worth biting the bullet in hopes of one or two healthy Octobers. The Astros can plug Trout somewhere between Jeremy Peña, Jose Altuve, Yordan Álvarez and Carlos Correa in the lineup. You will struggle to find a more fearsome five-man run east of Hollywood. A Trout trade would establish the Astros as real contenders again,” Kline wrote.

So far this season, Trout has slashed .462/.650/.923/1.573 with six hits, two of which were home runs, three RBI and a stolen base in four games played. 

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Trout is currently in year eight of a 12-year, $426.5 million contract. So while the Astros wouldn’t have him on the books for long in the big scheme of things, it’s still a lot of money to pony up. They should still do it anyway.

Trout is on the same timeline as Altuve, and their contracts are relatively the same length. If they want to be uber-competitive for the next three-to-four years, this is the move to make for Houston.

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