Opinion: Stop Trying to Trade Isaac Paredes. The Astros Need Him.<\/p>\n
There, I said it.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t want the Houston Astros to trade Isaac Paredes.<\/p>\n
And every time I hear another expert, another national analyst, or even another Astros fan casually toss his name into trade proposals like he\u2019s some expendable spare part, it makes less and less sense to me.<\/p>\n
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If this franchise is serious about extending its Golden Era and not just surviving it, then Paredes should be part of the foundation, not trade bait.<\/p>\n
Isaac Paredes\u00a0Is Not the Problem<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the obvious.<\/p>\n
Paredes was one of this team\u2019s best offensive players a year ago. That\u2019s not narrative, that\u2019s production.<\/p>\n
Yes, he missed time down the stretch with a hamstring injury. And yes, recency bias is real. But when you zoom out and actually look at what he did in just 102 games, the numbers tell a very different story.<\/p>\n
He hit .254 with 20 home runs, 53 RBIs, and an .810 OPS.<\/p>\n
Now compare that to the farewell tour numbers from\u00a0Alex Bregman\u00a0in his final season in Houston:<\/p>\n
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.260 average.
18 home runs.
62 RBIs.
.821 OPS.
145 games played.<\/p>\n
Paredes produced nearly identical power numbers in 43 fewer games.<\/p>\n
Who\u2019s to say that over a full 145-game season he doesn\u2019t surpass that line?<\/p>\n
A year ago, fans were outraged over losing Bregman. How could you replace a cornerstone third baseman who had been part of the entire championship core?<\/p>\n
Well, the Astros replaced him. And they did it without missing much offensively.<\/p>\n
But now we\u2019re acting like that replacement is disposable?<\/p>\n
The Strike Zone Matters<\/p>\n
One thing that gets overlooked in the trade chatter: Paredes has one of the best eyes for the strike zone on this roster.<\/p>\n
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On a team that has occasionally chased too much and gone cold in October because of it, that matters.<\/p>\n
Plate discipline translates. It travels. It holds up under pressure.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not something you just \u201cthrow into a Pirates deal\u201d because you\u2019re chasing roster balance.<\/p>\n
And speaking of those trade proposals involving Pittsburgh \u2014 unless the Astros are getting a return that clearly makes them better both now and in the future, why are we even entertaining the idea?<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t move one of your best assets just because you can.<\/p>\n
Team Control and Long-Term Value<\/p>\n
There\u2019s another key factor: control.<\/p>\n
Paredes isn\u2019t a one-year rental. He\u2019s under team control for the next two seasons. In an era where payroll flexibility matters and extensions for stars aren\u2019t automatic, that\u2019s a competitive advantage.<\/p>\n
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You build around cost-controlled production. You don\u2019t shop it out of convenience or an assumed necessity.<\/p>\n
Fix the Logjam Without Breaking the Offense<\/p>\n
Yes, the Astros have an infield surplus. Yes, roster construction is tricky.<\/p>\n
Yordan Alvarez\u00a0wants to play more outfield. And the numbers do suggest he\u2019s more engaged offensively when he\u2019s not locked into the DH role. That\u2019s fair.<\/p>\n
But instead of bending over backward trying to reposition everyone else, here\u2019s a thought:<\/p>\n
Play Paredes at second base.
Let\u00a0Jose Altuve\u00a0transition into more of a designated hitter role.<\/p>\n
Load the lineup. Prioritize offense. Adjust defensively as needed.<\/p>\n
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If the Astros are still chasing another left-handed outfield bat and a left-handed starter and they probably should be, there are ways to address those needs without subtracting one of your most consistent right-handed power bats.<\/p>\n
This offense has carried this organization for nearly a decade. Weakening it to patch another area or two feels like robbing Peter to pay Paul.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t Trade Good Just to Chase \u201cBetter\u201d<\/p>\n
General manager\u00a0Dana Brown\u00a0has work to do. No one disputes that. The roster isn\u2019t perfect. It needs pitching depth and bats in the outfield. It could use balance.<\/p>\n
But urgency should not create recklessness.<\/p>\n
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The only scenario where trading Paredes makes sense is if the offer coming back is overwhelming, the kind that clearly improves the team today and fortifies it tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Short of that? Hold him.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the smartest move isn\u2019t the splashy one. It\u2019s recognizing the value already in your clubhouse.<\/p>\n
Spring training is here. Opening Day is coming. There\u2019s still time to shape this roster.<\/p>\n
But if the Astros are serious about contending, not just competing, they should stop dangling Isaac Paredes and start building with him.<\/p>\n
Maybe I\u2019m in the minority.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s my column. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Opinion: Stop Trying to Trade Isaac Paredes. The Astros Need Him. There, I said it. I don\u2019t want…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":474663,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[33557,373,39190,10601,2322,363,7383,99,219922,30936],"class_list":{"0":"post-474662","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-alex-bregman","9":"tag-houston-astros","10":"tag-isaac-paredes","11":"tag-jose-altuve","12":"tag-los-angeles-angels","13":"tag-mlb","14":"tag-pittsburgh","15":"tag-sports","16":"tag-trade-proposals","17":"tag-yordan-alvarez"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/474663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}