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The Astros are slumping, but if they continue on this path, they would be wise to cash in on Yordan Alvarez.
The Houston Astros are off to a very slow start this season. At 10-16, they sit at the bottom of the American League West. That is also the fourth worst record in the entire junior circuit.
They aren’t buried just yet. They sit just three games back in the wild card race and 3 1/2 in the AL West, but the time to turn things around is now in order to avoid being buried in the standings by the trade deadline.
There is still a lot of time left, but if they are buried, it would not be a surprise if they ultimately made slugger Yordan Alvarez available at the deadline. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report proposed the idea of the Cincinnati Reds potentially making a play for him.
“The Reds check some major boxes as a potential Cinderella team,” Rymer wrote.
“However, their offense is batting a collective .207 and scoring only 4.0 runs per game. And contrary to San Diego and Detroit, it’s hard to see how any gains are going to come from within.
“They therefore absolutely need to be in the market for an impact hitter this summer. And if Alvarez is out there, it would be malpractice not to at least pick up the phone.”
Reds Named Trade Fit for Yordan Alvarez
The Reds are a team that is lacking a true power threat beyond Elly De La Cruz, and having somebody like Alvarez could set them apart from the rest of the pack in a crowded National League Central.
The central is a lot tougher this season than it was expected to be, though three teams reached the playoffs from the division last year. Adding somebody like Alvarez could be what ultimately gets them to the top of the division for the first time since 2012 and into the postseason.
Curt Bishop Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who has written for various outlets including Heavy Sports, Sports Illustrated, FanSided, The Sporting News, Newsweek and Yardbarker. His work entails mostly breaking and trending news with a concentration on Major League Baseball (MLB). Curt graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a bachelor's degree in communications with a focus on emerging and new media, as well as a music minor. More about Curt Bishop