The mid-season trade deadline is approaching—by the end of this month. We don’t really know what kinds of moves are targeted by the Astros. But we do know that this is the best opportunity to fortify the team for contending in the playoff race. The fact that the statement is also true for perhaps 15 or so other teams, who are all hoping to contend this season, means that the trade market will be crowded.
The teams which achieve the best playoff berths generally do so with a W/L record better than the projection system estimates. One reason for this tendency is the trade deadline.