One Last-Minute Trade the Astros Need to Make to Win the World Series

The Houston Astros look well on their way to capturing their fifth American League West title in the last six years. They're looking to accomplish a much bigger goal, though. That's winning the World Series and adding a piece or two at the MLB trade deadline would boost those odds in a big way.

Houston Astros Trade Rumors

The Astros roster holes are obvious. They lack outfield depth with Michael Brantley injured and could use a power-hitting first baseman given the struggles of veteran Yuli Gurriel. However, upgrading at catcher has to be the top priority. Martin Maldonado and Korey Lee are not getting the job done.

That's what makes the Red Sox's Christian Vazquez a perfect target.

He wouldn't break the bank to acquire like Chicago Cubs' Willson Contreras would considering he is a free agent after the 2022 season. Boston also lines up to be an underrated seller as it continues to fall out of the playoff race.

Vazquez was in consideration for an All-Star bid this season and is slashing a reliable .282/.327/.432 at the plate. That greatly outshines Maldonado's efforts (.173/.239/.342). Vazquez has also logged 33 runs scored, 20 doubles, 8 home runs and 42 RBI across 84 games played.

Acquiring Vazquez would also give the Astros a heck of a defensive tandem behind the plate. A main reason why Maldonado was brought back on a one-year deal was the fact that he has tallied 71 defensive runs saved in 12 seasons. Vazquez is no slouch, either, racking up 45 DRS through seven seasons.

The MLB trade deadline is set for 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 2. For now, the Astros have the third-best odds to win the World Series at +450, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.