Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown isn’t ready to become a seller at the trade deadline — despite a 12-22 start.
“No, I can’t envision that,” Brown said Tuesday on “MLB Now.” “I think this team, this ballclub is too good. We have a really good rotation, we have a really good bullpen. … I think the production is coming [offensively]. I think our guys are too professional. They’re good players. I can’t predict any scenario where we become sellers.”
Brown isn’t panicking. The Astros have made seven consecutive American League Championship appearances and won World Series titles in 2017 and 2022.
“I think the key here is win this series, win this series, win this series, get back to .500,” Brown said. “Once you get back to .500 and you start to roll, you get a winning streak of five here, seven here, 10 there. Before you know it, you’re 8-10 games over .500.”
While Brown’s optimism is commendable, it’s hard to believe everything will suddenly click for the Astros unless they make drastic changes.
Injuries to starting pitchers J.P. France (shoulder), Luis Garcia (elbow) and Jose Urquidy (forearm) have hampered the Astros pitching staff. They rank 26th in baseball in ERA (4.75).
Houston should consider trading for New York Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino, who has posted a 2.93 ERA in seven games this season. Jon Heyman of the New York Post indicated he could be available if the Mets (17-18) fall out of contention.
The Astros offense, meanwhile, is still one of the best in the majors. Houston is tied for fifth in baseball in on-base percentage (.326) and third in batting average (.259).
However, the Astros must snap out of their funk soon. Otherwise, Brown could change his mind and make some moves before the trade deadline on July 30.