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Houston Astros General Manager Dana Brown is seen during workouts for pitchers and catchers at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jason Fochtman\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Working on a contract that expires at the end of this season<\/a> means every move Dana Brown makes as Houston Astros general manager will be inspected closely.<\/p>\n Since taking over the job in January 2023<\/a>, Brown has stayed busy, making 40 trades. Fifteen of those deals have been minor with the return on one side or the other simply involving cash. However, he\u2019s taken some big swings and come up a winner like when he brought back Justin Verlander at his first trade deadline and then had the foresight to get Yusei Kikuchi into the Astros’ pitching system<\/a> at the 2024 deadline.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also whiffed, especially in this past offseason. Although it\u2019s best not to judge trades too quickly, swapping Mauricio Dub\u00f3n for Nick Allen and giving up two prospects for Mike Burrows, who has struggled mightily<\/a>, are both looking like bad ideas.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n With the trade deadline approaching on Aug. 3<\/a>, Brown\u00a0\u2014 and perhaps Astros owner Jim Crane<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 must make a decision if the Astros, who are still six games below .500 but just 3.5 games out of first place in the American League West, should be buyers or sellers.<\/p>\n When he\u2019s been a buyer, Brown has proven to be able to convince teams to take prospects that haven\u2019t come back to haunt the Astros, but is the team willing to roll the dice again?<\/p>\n After going through all 40 of Brown\u2019s trades with the Astros, here is a ranking of his five best and five worst:<\/p>\n BEST: No. 1, Trading for Justin Verlander<\/p>\n Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) delivers in the sixth inning of Game 5 during the American League Championship Series at Globe Life Field on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, in Arlington.<\/p>\n Brett Coomer\/Staff photographer<\/p>\n The trade (Aug. 1, 2023): Acquired Justin Verlander from the Mets<\/a> for minor-league outfielders Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n At Dana Brown\u2019s first trade deadline as general manager, he traded away the team\u2019s Nos. 1 and 4 prospects in Gilbert and Clifford, respectively. It was worth it.\u00a0Verlander was excellent to close out the 2023 season, going 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA after the trade, then posted a 2.95 ERA in three postseason starts. Gilbert, who looked like he had star potential in the Astros’ system, has since been traded to the San Francisco Giants and the 25-year-old is hitting .215 with a .643 OPS in 117 games over his past two seasons in the big leagues. The 23-year-old Clifford has yet to make it to the big leagues and is hitting .192 with 16 home runs at the Mets’ Triple-A team in Syracuse.<\/p>\n BEST: No. 2, Adding Yusei Kikuchi in 2024<\/p>\n Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) reacts after striking out Los Angeles Angels Eric Wagaman during the sixth inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Houston.<\/p>\n Karen Warren\/Staff photographer<\/p>\n The trade (July 29, 2024): Acquired\u00a0Yusei Kikuchi from the Blue Jays<\/a> for Joey\u00a0Loperfido, Jake Bloss and Will Wagner to Blue Jays for Yusei Kikuchi<\/p>\n Giving up three players for Kikuchi seemed like a steep price, but Kikuchi helped push the Astros to the 2024 playoffs, going 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts. As for the return, well it hasn\u2019t looked too costly. Loperfido didn\u2019t impress in his time in Toronto and eventually was traded back to the Astros. Wagner, who turns 28 at the end of the month, currently is with the Padres’ Triple-A team after hitting .256 (9-for-35) in limited at-bats spread over the past three seasons in the big leagues.\u00a0Bloss has yet to pitch in the majors for the Blue Jays, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2025, then suffering a shoulder injury this summer as he attempted to return.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n BEST: No. 3, Cashing in on Kyle Tucker<\/p>\n Houston Astros Isaac Paredes, center, celebrates with Cam Smith after hitting a 2-run home run during the eighth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, June 3, 2026.<\/p>\n Jason Fochtman\/Staff photographer<\/p>\n The trade (Dec. 13, 2024): Traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs<\/a> for Isaac\u00a0Paredes, Cam Smith and Hayden Wesneski<\/p>\n Trading a young superstar is never a good idea, but Brown did about as well as he could. With Tucker having just one more year left before hitting free agency where he would get a four-year, $240 million offer from the Dodgers<\/a> that Houston\u00a0never would have matched, the Astros decided to trade him before he could leave as a free agent. Playing for the Cubs in 2025 and the Dodgers in 2026, Tucker has hit .256 with 29 home runs and a .785 OPS over 230 games. The Astros’ return in the trade have combined to top Tucker\u2019s 5.2 WAR in that time with Paredes hitting .256 with 32 home runs and a .790 OPS over 197 games. Wesneski started just six games for the Astros before having Tommy John surgery<\/a>, although he\u2019s expected to return this season. Smith was thought to be the centerpiece of the deal, but he\u2019s struggled, hitting .225 in his first two seasons in the big leagues, but he\u2019s only 23 and still has four more years of team control.<\/p>\n BEST: No. 4, Bringing back Carlos\u00a0Correa<\/p>\n Houston Astros third base Carlos Correa (1) recognizes the crowd before batting in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park in Houston on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025.<\/p>\n Elizabeth Conley\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n The trade (July 31, 2025): Acquired Carlos Correa from the Twins<\/a> for minor-league pitcher Matt Mikulski<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n This was a\u00a0no-brainer. The Twins desperately wanted out of Correa\u2019s contract, which still had $92 million over three years remaining, and Brown was there to pounce. All he had to give up was minor-leaguer Mikulski, who the Twins ended up releasing at the end of the year. Even with an injury costing Correa most of the 2026 season<\/a>, he\u2019s still hit .286 with nine homers and a .786 OPS over 83 games since returning to the Astros. The trade is a win, because the Astros gave up virtually nothing, but how Correa contributes compared to the money being allocated to him will determine how big of a win it is.<\/p>\n BEST: No. 5, Selling high on Korey Lee<\/p>\n Houston Astros relief pitcher Kendall Graveman (31) fields Arizona Diamondbacks Evan Longoria\u2019s ground out during the seventh inning of a MLB baseball game at Chase Field on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 in Phoenix.<\/p>\n Karen Warren\/Staff photographer<\/p>\n The trade (July 28, 2023): Acquired Kendall\u00a0Graveman from the White Sox<\/a> for\u00a0Korey Lee<\/p>\n This actually is a trade that didn\u2019t work out the way either expected.\u00a0Astros fans were concerned about Brown giving up on Lee, a former first-round pick, but the catcher, who turns 28 later this month, has yet to prove he\u2019s a big-leaguer. He hit .195 in parts of three seasons with the White Sox and has spent all of this year at Triple-A Charlotte. Graveman was really good down the stretch for the 2023 Astros, posting a 2.42 ERA in 23 relief appearances, but a shoulder injury kept him out of the postseason and sidelined him for all of 2024. Had Graveman been healthy for the 2023\u00a0playoffs, the Astros, who came a win shy of reaching the World Series again, could have pointed to this deal as an all-timer.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n WORST: No. 1, Trading Mauricio Dub\u00f3n<\/p>\n Houston Astros left fielder Mauricio Dubon catches a fly ball hit by Baltimore Orioles’ Vimael Machin for an out during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo\/Nick Wass)<\/p>\n Nick Wass\/Associated Press<\/p>\n The trade (Nov. 19, 2025): Traded Mauricio Dub\u00f3n to the Braves<\/a> for Nick Allen<\/p>\n Astros fans will have a hard time getting over this one. The\u00a0Astros and Braves basically swapped utility players, although Allen had the benefit of being much cheaper, while Dub\u00f3n, who makes $6.1 million compared to Allen\u2019s $1.4 million, can become a free agent after this season. Dub\u00f3n has hit .265 with a career-best 10 home runs and a .731 OPS. Allen, meanwhile, has hit .239 with a .591 OPS.<\/p>\n WORST: No. 2, Counting on Mike Burrows<\/p>\n Houston Astros starting pitcher Mike Burrows (50) reacts after hitting Minnisota Twins Victor Caratini with the bases loaded during the first inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Tuesday, June 30, 2026.<\/p>\n Jason Fochtman\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n The trade (Dec. 19, 2025): Sent aways prospects Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito<\/a> in three-team deal for Mike Burrows<\/p>\n This is the type of move a general manager operating on a budget makes, but, at least so far, it looks like the evaluation of Burrows could be wrong. Burrows was coveted because he looked promising as a rookie with the Pirates, posting a 3.94 ERA over 96 innings. More importantly, he\u2019s only 26 years old and can\u2019t become a free agent until 2032. That\u2019s all good, but he\u2019s pitched so poorly for the\u00a0Astros, he was optioned\u00a0to Triple-A with a 4-9 record and a 5.99 ERA\u00a0before the team nullified that demotion by placing him on the injured list with elbow neuritis<\/a>. It\u2019s still too early to judge what the\u00a0Astros gave up, but the 25-year-old Melton is hitting .275 with an .897 OPS and 20 stolen bases at Triple-A, which likely would have been enough to earn him a big-league spot in Houston. The 22-year-old Brito has a 3.34 ERA in eight starts at High-A. Melton and Brito are ranked as the Rays’ Nos. 5 and 7 prospects, respectively.<\/p>\n WORST: No. 3, Giving up on\u00a0Jes\u00fas S\u00e1nchez<\/p>\n Houston Astros’ Jesus Sanchez (4) celebrates after coming home on a single by Carlos Correa in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo\/Rebecca Blackwell)<\/p>\n Rebecca Blackwell\/Associated Press<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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