Reddit AMA: What do the Astros have in mind for the Trade Deadline?

DENVER -- The status of some of the Astros’ players on the injured list, the future of Framber Valdez and Jeremy Peña and the upcoming Trade Deadline were some of the questions on the minds of fans during the Reddit AMA I did on Wednesday afternoon.

Here are some highlights from the conversation, which can be found in its entirety here.

Hey Tags,

Regarding the ‘25-’26 offseason, everyone is talking about Valdez becoming a free agent. However, there is very little chatter that [Victor] Caratini is also a FA at the end of the season as well. Do you think it’s more likely that the Astros…

A) Retain Caratini.
B) Sign another veteran catcher to be the backup.
C) Fill in the spot internally with someone like Salazar, Palma, or Janek.
D) Something else entirely.

Thank you!
The Astros would like to re-sign Caratini because he's been such a good fit. The bigger question is what happens with Yainer Diaz. There are some in the organization who don’t like his approach at the plate, and his early struggles this year have only exacerbated that. Plus, prospect Walker Janek, who's currently at High-A, could be in position to contribute to the big league club perhaps as early as next year. It will be very interesting to see which direction the Astros go behind the plate, especially with Diaz.

Hey Brian, thanks for doing this.

It’s obvious other fanbases still hold a grudge and boo the team thoroughly. But I’m curious about the general consensus from players outside of the organization toward the Astros. Are there any obvious signs of dislike or negative sentiment for a player to sign with or be traded to the Astros?
I've never heard any player say he didn't want to play for the Astros. In fact, when players come to Houston, the usual sentiment is they wanted to join a winning organization. The Astros' reputation for getting the most of their pitchers, including pitchers they brought in from other organizations, is very strong, and position players who come here always talk about the strong culture that's in place in Houston.

How do you read the [Jeremy] Peña/[Scott] Boras situation?

Do you think Peña and the 'Stros reach an agreement, and if not, where might we see him next? How much can he realistically ask for and expect?

What is the probable next move for the Astros if Peña bounces?
Astros GM Dana Brown said he called Boras upon learning about Peña switching agents and told him the team is still interested in an extension. Now would be the time to do it, though the window is probably closing quickly. Peña's emergence as a star player this year and the hiring of Boras likely means Peña will hit free agency. Boras typically wants his clients to test the free-agent waters, though players like McCullers and Altuve are exceptions. But the Astros still have 2 1/2 seasons of control with Peña, so it's too early to say what the next move might be. The Astros have done quite well in letting big-money free agents walk.

Totally hypothetical, but let’s say the Astros get several of their starting-caliber pitchers back toward the end of the season. Assuming [Ronel] Blanco and [Hayden] Wesneski are off the table, what would your ideal six-man rotation look like down the stretch?

Follow-up: Do you think any of these returning or current arms could be used as trade chips at the deadline to bolster the offense?

Hunter Brown
Frambler Valdez
Christian Javier
Luis Garcia
Spencer Arrighetti
J.P. France
Colton Gordon
Brandon Walter
Lance McCullers Jr.
Ryan Gusto
It appears Arrighetti and Javier would be first in line to return, which would give them a rotation of Brown, Valdez, Javier, Arrighetti and McCullers. Perhaps Garcia returns, too, which would give them terrific starting pitching depth heading into the playoffs. Gordon, Gusto and Walter would provide depth or long-relief bullpen help. If the Astros can get just a couple of those guys back (without losing Brown or Valdez), they'll be in a great spot pitching-wise. It will be reminiscent of the 2022 staff.

Can you lay out some potential strategies and trade candidates for the Astros for the Trade Deadline?
Yes, Brown said Tuesday the club is still in the market for a left-handed bat, which could become a bigger priority if Alvarez is out for an extended period of time. Some of the names to keep an eye on are Brandon Lowe of the Rays, Ryan O'Hearn and Cedric Mullins of the Orioles, Mike Tauchman of the White Sox and Ryan McMahon and Mickey Moniak of the Rockies. If the Astros start getting healthy starting pitchers back off the IL, that will replace their need to trade for a pitcher.