The Houston Astros are in the middle of a great season, but the issue they're facing is a lack of depth due to injuries. Yordan Alvarez and Jeremy Pena are both out due to injury, and there are plenty of others who have been hurt this season.
Amid those injuries, the Astros are exploring options to add to their roster. General manager Dana Brown has expressed his desire to add a left-handed bat to the lineup in some capacity. With the issues in left field and at second base, a lefty at either position would be a nice addition for the Astros to make by the end of July.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic proposed a trade that would resolve such an issue, as he has the Astros swinging a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays for second baseman Brandon Lowe. In return, he has the Astros sending either Walker Janek or Brice Matthews.
"I think you could get Lowe for either Janek or Matthews." Bowden wrote. "The Rays have been looking for a long-term solution at catcher, and Janek, a first-round pick last year out of Sam Houston, could end up being the answer for them."
Lowe is a left-handed hitter and can play second base for the Astros. While one of Janek or Matthews, but likely Janek, would be a high cost, Lowe would be the perfect addition to the lineup.
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He's a lefty bat, exactly what the Astros need, and can play second base, sending Altuve to designated hitter or left field. Being able to improve the defense at second base would be nice, and Lowe would also be a great bat to infuse into the lineup.
This season, through 84 games, Lowe has 86 hits, 54 runs scored, 11 doubles, 19 home runs, 50 RBIs, 24 walks, and 85 strikeouts. He's hitting .272 with a .324 on-base percentage and a .487 slugging percentage.
Adding his .811 OPS to the Astros' lineup would be a great move. He'd be third overall on the team, behind Pena and Isaac Paredes among Astros hitters in OPS this season.
Since the beginning of May, across 57 games and 209 at-bats, Lowe has a .927 OPS and 15 home runs. He started the year off slow with a .581 OPS, but has been on fire lately, and is an All-Star for the second time in his career with the Rays this season.
While the cost of adding Lowe in this trade proposal from Bowden would be a lot, the potential offensive injection that he'd provide to the lineup is incredibly valuable.
Houston and Brown have been looking for a lefty bat, and Lowe is the perfect fit for the Astros to add such a player, while also addressing a key need on the roster at second base.
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