CHICAGO, IL – JULY 12: Ian Happ #8 of the Chicago Cubs bats against the Baltimore Orioles at Wrigley Field on July 12, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
The Houston Astros could look to trade for some surprise sellers at the trade deadline or some players that may not have been on the trade block until recently.
The Houston Astros are a well-oiled machine. Even after losing one of the best players in the sport in Carlos Correa, they have gone 58-30 in the first 88 games of the season and they have an 11-game lead on the Mariners in the AL West.
However, largely due to injuries, the club has a few areas that they need to address before the August 2 trade deadline.
Here are three players from surprise sellers (or three players that may surprisingly be traded from bad teams) that the Astros should target.
Houston Astros: 3 trade deadline targets from surprise sellers
Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ
The Chicago Cubs are not a team that would be a surprise seller. In fact, it would be surprising if they weren’t sellers. However, it would be surprising if they trade Ian Happ.
Happ is an All-Star for the first time this season after having an excellent season.
In 87 games, he has hit .280/.373/.456 with an OPS+ of 132 with nine home runs, 41 RBI, and 23 doubles.
He has only played left field and center field this year (both of which are areas of need for the team) but he has played the infield in recent years too.
Happ is arbitration-eligible next year so he could play left field or centerfield next year, especially with Michael Brantley becoming a free agent after this season.