The Astros could become the team that shocks the entire MLB trade market

The Astros could become the team that shocks the entire MLB trade market originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Very few organizations have defined modern baseball quite like the Houston Astros .

That is why Buster Olney floating the possibility of a major Astros selloff immediately grabbed attention across the league. According to Olney’s ESPN reporting, rival executives increasingly believe Houston may face a franchise crossroads as its disappointing season continues. And if the Astros actually pivot toward selling, the entire trade market changes.

Houston suddenly has massive decisions to make The Astros were expected to remain contenders. Instead, they have stumbled badly, leading Olney to cite rival evaluators who believe Houston could “crush it” in terms of trade return value if it decides to reset. That is where things become fascinating.

Olney mentioned the possibility of the Astros listening on stars like Jeremy Pena, Hunter Brown and Yordan Alvarez. Even discussing those names feels almost unthinkable considering how central they are to Houston’s identity. But rival executives clearly see opportunity.