Creativity was at the center of the trades the Houston Astros made last offseason. Most notably, the Astros traded the final year of Kyle Tucker away to the Chicago Cubs for Cam Smith, Isaac Paredes, and Hayden Wesneski. Envisioning a Tucker trade at the start of last offseason may have been difficult, but the same strain likely won't be had for a trade Houston needs to make this offseason.
The first clue was dropped at the MLB trade deadline. The Astros made the bold move to reunite with Carlos Correa, and while the goal was to improve the team's offense for the 2025 season, the implications of the deal will impact the Astros in the years ahead.