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The 2025 MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and the Houston Astros emerged as one of the biggest winners from deadline day. They earned an A+ trade deadline grade after adding Jesus Sanchez and Ramon Urias, and most importantly, making a trade to reunite with Carlos Correa.
Correa was a key figure in turning the Astros into a fringe dynasty before he moved on to play for the Minnesota Twins. The 2012 first overall pick won the World Series with the Astros in 2017. He played shortstop back then, but he will now fill the hole at third base left by the offseason departure of Alex Bregman. Ramon Urias is a former Gold Glover who can play elite defense all over the infield for Houston, and Sanchez provides a much-needed left-handed bat for the team's outfield.
The trades Houston made put them in a prime position to make yet another deep postseason run, but they shouldn't be done upgrading the roster yet. Here are two more moves the Astros should make ahead of yet another World Series push.
Promote Miguel Ullola to the majors
The Astros added three position players at the trade deadline who can all make a big impact going forward. They didn't make a move for a pitcher, though. Perhaps that is because they have one ready to make the jump from prospect status to major leaguer soon.
Miguel Ullola is the Astros' fourth-ranked prospect, and the team should promote him to their major league roster soon. The pitcher has spent all season in Triple-A. He has starter potential, but he could help out in the bullpen for the rest of the season.
Ullola has been dominant in the minor leagues throughout his career. He struck out 32% of his batters in his first four seasons, and he led the minors in opponents' batting average (.163) last season. The back-end of the Astros bullpen is stacked, but relief arms are more prioritized now than ever before. The surplus of moves for relievers during the trade deadline proved that. Ullola is ready for the big leagues, and the Astros wouldn't have to invest resources into acquiring another pitcher if they were to promote him.
Sign free agent DJ LeMahieu
The Astros made a surprising lineup adjustment at the start of the season. Jose Altuve established himself as one of the best second basemen ever from 2011-2024, but the team decided to move him to left field. The decision didn't work as well as hoped. Brendan Rodgers would become the team's primary second baseman, but he only has a .191 batting average on the year and is currently on the 60-Day Injured List.
Altuve was just as dominant with the bat as he always is, but his defensive capabilities in the outfield were just okay. A weak arm, in particular, limited his ceiling in the outfield. Over the past two months, Houston has transitioned Altuve back into second base duties. However, at age 35, Altuve is perhaps best suited as a designated hitter.
Regardless of whether Altuve spends most of his time at second base going forward or if he rotates between that position, left field, and designated hitter, the Astros need more depth at second base. Rodgers is currently dealing with a nasal fracture and concussion, but before that, he had an oblique strain. Dating back to his days with the Colorado Rockies, Rodgers has seemingly always had some sort of injury that he is dealing with, so he shouldn't be relied upon to provide much of a role for the rest of the season.
Luckily, one of the best players on the open market is a second baseman. Fellow former Rockies star, DJ LeMahieu, was recently released by the New York Yankees. At 37 years old, LeMahieu isn't the player he once was, but he does have plenty of experience. LeMahieu has three All-Star appearances, four Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and two batting titles to his name.
LeMahieu could fill in at second during days when Altuve plays elsewhere, and he can work at third base if Carlos Correa ends up struggling with his new position. He is one of the best contact hitters in recent baseball memory, and he has plenty of experience making deep postseason runs.
