With less than a week to go until the MLB trade deadline, the Houston Astros will have a few different moves to weigh. Due to all of the injuries on the roster, the trade deadline could be a tough one to manage for Astros general manager Dana Brown.
Moving a healthy player from the Major League roster might seem counter-intuitive for the Astros at the deadline, but for Chas McCormick, such a tough decision could be made, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
“Houston’s major-league roster is so ravaged by injury that it’s difficult to envision any player getting moved,” Rome writes, “but McCormick makes the most sense if one does.”
While the Astros are dealing with a litany of injuries, including to their outfield, the Astros could trade McCormick at the deadline for a return, albeit likely a small one.
He does hold value as a controllable outfielder, as he’s under team control through 2026, and is currently making just $3.4 million. His production this season, in 41 games, hasn’t been great. But at the start of his career, he looked like a solid starting outfielder.
From 2021 to 2023, McCormick accumulated 7.4 WAR, hit .259 with a .336 on-base percentage, .449 slugging percentage, and a .786 OPS and 117 OPS+. He was an above-average hitter and was a solid contributor to the team’s 2022 World Series win.
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But, in the 2024 and 2025 seasons so far, he’s accumulated -1.4 WAR, is hitting .215/.276/.297 with a .573 OPS and 64 OPS+. He’s nearly been half as good as he was during his first three years of his career.
He’s hitting .230 this season with a .561 OPS. Combined with the Astros making trade inquiries for an outfielder, along with Jacob Melton and Jake Meyers coming back from injury, there isn’t a secure roster spot for McCormick on the Astros roster.
Houston, while not a lot, could get something back for McCormick at the trade deadline. He’s shown the ability to be a decent hitter and fielder, and is a cheap player to have on the roster. Some teams would be interested in trading for him.
Of the Astros players, McCormick was picked out by Rome as the most likely to be traded at the deadline. While he was a nice player for Houston in the early 2020s, his recent struggles could make parting ways with him a lot easier.
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