The Houston Astros are in unfamiliar territory as they are out of first place in the AL West and hold a one game lead on a wild card spot. The Astros still have every chance to reach their seventh straight ALCS and defend their World Series title, but they'll need to make a few moves before the MLB trade deadline to bolster the roster.

Astros general manager Dana Brown told The Athletic that the team has a few areas of need, but there is one obvious spot that Brown is hoping to clear up.

“Number one priority, I think they’re all pretty important, (but) if you’re only giving me one, heck, I’ll take a starter at the deadline if there was one available and we matched up with,” Brown said.

The Astros' pitching staff has been very good this season but showed its vulnerability over the last month plus. Though Astros starters have the fourth-best ERA in the league and Houston as a whole has the second-best ERA as a team, they've posted a 4.17 ERA since the start of June, going 18-18 in that span.

The Astros boast some of the top pitchers in the league, led by AL Cy Young Award favorite Framber Valdez, but they've struggled for over a month as fatigue starts to set in. There will inevitably be new faces in Houston's clubhouse before the Aug. 1 deadline which Brown is hoping will propel the Astros to another deep playoff run.

Dana Brown is in his first season as GM of the Astros and is tasked with some big decisions that will have a big impact on Houston's season.