For most teams, a 40-34 start to the season would be satisfactory. Not the Houston Astros. Coming off their fourth World Series appearance and second World Series title in six years, the Astros expected to once again be among the cream of the crop in the American League. Instead, the Astros aren't even in a wild card spot, and strong starts by the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels mean that Houston is only in third place in the AL West.

Injuries have been costly to the pitching staff, while slow first halves from many of the Astros' top hitters have hindered the team as of late. All signs point to some MLB trade deadline acquisitions in Houston.

The Astros farm system is not the strongest (ranked 27th out of 30 teams), but all of the Astros' top four prospects play in the outfield and Houston has numerous right-handed pitchers among its top 30 minor leaguers.

As for trade needs, first base is a spot of concern. Jose Abreu has been better as of late, but with Yordan Alvarez currently on the IL, the Astros desperately need production at the first base and designated hitter spot.

The club could also use a fifth starting pitcher. Luis Garcia is out for the year and Jose Urquidy is injured, leaving a massive drop-off after fourth starter JP France, who, alongside fellow rookie Hunter Brown, has performed well in his first year in MLB. A veteran pitcher would be the ideal addition to the Astros' rotation.

Here are the players the Astros will be looking to move ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

4 Astros players who must be on trade block ahead of 2023 deadline

Colin Barber (OF)

Injuries have limited Colin Barber to just 154 games in four minor league seasons, but in that span, Barber has a .275 average with 19 homers, 71 RBI, and a .835 OPS. The 22-year-old offers a dangerous combination of power and speed, plus his strong arm helps him excel at all three outfield positions.

Colin Barber's slow progression through the minors currently has him at Double-A, but the young outfielder should be Major League-ready next year.

Jacob Melton (OF)

Jacob Melton is less than a year into his pro career, but he has already advanced to High-A with the Asheville Tourists. Through 48 games this year, Melton has 10 homers and 27 stolen bases — replicating the skillset he showed at Oregon State. As the Astros' number two prospect, the 22-year-old outfielder holds the most value of any player on this list, making him ideal trade bait moving forward.

Rafael Montero (RHP)

Rafael Montero had a career 5.18 ERA before joining the Houston Astros in 2022, then went and posted the best season of his career, with a 2.37 ERA across 71 appearances — including 14 saves. This year, after earning a three-year, $34.5 million contract, Montero has reverted to his old form, with an ERA sitting at 6.67. This includes a 9.68 ERA since May 1.

The advanced stats suggest improvement is imminent; opponents are batting over .400 on balls in play against Montero and his expected ERA is a more respectable 4.52. But can a contender like the Astros afford to wait around until Montero finds his stuff again? Even a 4.52 ERA is not good enough to earn a bullpen spot on a playoff team. Rafael Montero is a good, low-risk, high-reward reclamation project for a rebuilding team.

Misael Tamarez (RHP)

He might not have the best numbers at Triple-A this year (5.91 ERA and 27 walks in 35 innings), but teams will nonetheless see value in Tamarez's 99-MPH fastball. The 23-year-old finished second in the Astros organization with 142 strikeouts last year, pairing his fastball with a mid-80s slider and upper-80s changeup.

The right-hander needs to improve his control to become a legitimate Major League starter, but teams covet the raw talent and athletic ability that Tamarez has, making him a useful trade piece.