At the MLB trade deadline, the Houston Astros are thinking all left. With a left fielder and a left-handed hitter at the top of the team’s list of needs, why not solve both with one player?
According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Astros are predicted to target Baltimore Orioles slugger Ryan O’Hearn. He’s a first baseman, designated hitter, and most importantly, an outfielder. Also, he hits left-handed.
“However,” Rome writes. “If the Orioles are open for business, Ryan O’Hearn and Cedric Mullins are rental left-handed bats that make a lot of sense.”
The player of focus between the two mentioned is O’Hearn. The reason is simple: he is currently the leading vote-getter among designated hitters in the American League for the All-Star team. Since Rafael Devers was shipped off to the San Francisco Giants in the NL, O’Hearn has taken over voting to be an All-Star for the first time in his career.
O’Hearn is a free agent after the season, and for the Astros, that’d be a huge help in acquiring him. The Astros don’t have a lot of assets to work with, so O’Hearn being an expiring deal should help him fall in their price range at the deadline.
But, even though his existing deal will make him more affordable, he’s still going to carry a decent price tag. That’s, of course, due to him being the favorite to be the AL designated hitter on the All-Star team.
In 2025, O’Hearn is batting .305 with an .867 OPS. He also has a 148 OPS+, which means he’s 48 percent better than a league-average hitter. Across the first 65 games of the season for O’Hearn, he has accumulated 1.7 WAR, almost as much as his previous career high.
In his 223 at-bats in 2025, O’Hearn has 68 hits, 29 runs scored, nine doubles, 10 home runs, 29 RBIs, 26 walks, and 42 strikeouts. He’s been a great hitter and is also around league average when it comes to fielding in the outfield.
If the Astros were to add a player at the trade deadline, O’Hearn would be one of the best options. His versatility in the field, along with his offensive prowess at the plate, makes him a great fit for both the Astros’ needs: left field and a lefty bat.
O’Hearn turns 32 years old on July 26th, right before the trade deadline. Houston could give him a nice birthday present and bring him to a top contender in the AL, as the Orioles have fallen out of contention with their terrible start to the season.
