Trade pitch sees Astros acquiring $8M slugger to bolster lineup

The Houston Astros are battling for the top spot in the American League and will look to add to their roster ahead of the July 31 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

The Astros are atop the AL West and will look to add another bat to the lineup. With that, MLB analyst Zachary Rodman of FanSided shared a trade pitch that would see the Astros acquire Ryan O’Hearn from the Baltimore Orioles.

Astros acquire:

• Ryan O’Hearn

Orioles acquire:

• AJ Blubaugh
• Parker Smith

The proposed deal would see the Astros acquire an impact bat in O’Hearn to solidify the lineup for two pitching prospects.

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“In this deal, the Astros would acquire O'Hearn, a perfect fit for their lineup. In the short term, Houston can use him primarily as a DH, as Yordan Alvarez is still on the Injured List. When Alvarez is healthy, O'Hearn can play in left field, with Walker etched in as the first baseman. O'Hearn won't provide stellar defense by any means, but he was an All-Star this season because of his bat…

“Overall, the Orioles don't have much leverage here with O'Hearn. He's set to hit free agency after the year, so they have to just get what they can for him in what's been a lost season for the organization. Blubaugh and Smith have enough upside to make trading O'Hearn worthwhile for the O's, and aren't valuable enough to the Astros to prevent them from making this deal.”

The Astros would acquire O’Hearn, who’s earning $8 million this season and is a pending free agent. He’s hitting .278 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs.

Houston would give up Blubaugh, who’s their ninth-ranked prospect, and Smith, who’s the 26th-ranked prospect. Blubaugh is pitching in AAA and could pitch in the majors for Baltimore, while Smith is a few years away from the majors.

Overall, Baltimore takes a flier on two pitching prospects for O’Hearn, who could leave in free agency in nothing, while the Astros get an impact bat for a pennant race.

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