The Houston Astros' quest for a left-handed bat last season led them to trade for Jesus Sanchez at the trade deadline in hopes that he would soften the blow from the loss of Yordan Alvarez. However, that is decidedly not what happened as Sanchez only managed a .191/.269/.342 line, including four homers after the trade. Sanchez may have survived the recent non-tender deadline, but it is clear that Houston is still looking for a lefty bat going into the offseason.
Assuming Alvarez is healthy at the start of the 2026 season, the urgency to find left-handed help is lessened somewhat.