The Houston Astros find themselves one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the final AL wildcard spot after losing the division to the Seattle Mariners. It's a collapse for one of the better teams of this decade, who were cruising into the postseason when the trade deadline came around.
The Astros acquired Jesus Sanchez, Ramon Urias, and former franchise star Carlos Correa at the trade deadline to bolster their roster for the second half and the postseason. However, apart from Correa, one can say the moves haven't panned out well.
Chandler Rome of The Athletic believes this is one of the prime reasons for the Astros' second-half debacle.
Rome calls Astros trade deadline moves "unproductive"
At the time, Houston’s acquisitions of Jesús Sánchez, Ramon Urías, and a reunion with Carlos Correa were met with optimism. However, when it comes to results, it's far from what the Astros expected, leading Chandler Rome to call the moves "unproductive."
Correa has held his own since returning, batting .286/.348/.427 with six home runs across 210 plate appearances. The pop may not be there, but when compared to other Astros hitters, he has done relatively well.
Meanwhile, Urias is barely seen on the field since Mauricio Dubon plays a similar role for the Astros. Most notably, Sanchez has dramatically underperformed so much that the franchise may cut ties with him.
This, in conjunction with Yordan Alvarez's injury, Christian Walker's lackluster season and pitching injuries, might be the reason why the Astros have fallen flat in the second half.