The Astros made a run at two of the top closers on the market, Aroldis Chapman of the Reds and Craig Kimbrel of the Padres on Friday, but neither pitcher was dealt and the Astros made no moves as the non-waiver trading deadline passed at 3 p.m. CT.
Although Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow did not name either pitcher, he made what seemed to be clear references to them, and people familiar with the Astros’ trade talks confirmed the Astros were in the hunt for those premier arms. The Astros and Rays had recently discussed relief pitching as well, although it’s not known if those discussions continued Friday.