The Red Sox acquisition of 3B Caleb Durbin will leave their fans wanting, but it essentially takes a trade partner off the board for the Astros. Did it also add a new one?
With the big news coming down today that the Boston Red Sox have acquired 3B Caleb Durbin in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, it removed Boston as a potential trade destination for the Astros as they seek to clear the logjam in the infield. Maybe it opened another door for a new team?
The Brewers now find themselves in need of a third baseman, and they were already looking to get more power in their lineup.
Paredes is under control for the next two season and his cost is already determined, something the cost-conscious Brewers appreciate. The Brewers are also 20th in MLB in Tax Payroll at just over $127M per Spotrac, that’s about $16.5M LESS than what their Tax Payroll was in 2025. This is important at it shows absorbing Paredes’ contract is not outside their proven threshold to spend.
Potential Trade Scenario:
Astros send: 3B Isaac Paredes
Brewers send : CF Garrett Mitchell, LHP J.D. Thompson
In this trade, the Astros get a lefty handed hitting CF who is above average defensively, and graded out 89th percentile in arm strength (90 MPH) and 87th percentile in sprint speed (29 ft/sec).
Mitchell struggled at the plate last season in a very small sample size (68 AB) due to an oblique injury and then injured his shoulder during rehab, had surgery, and missed the remainder of the season.
Prior to that, he had his most playing time in 2024, where he had 8 HR 21 RBI 11SB in 196 AB while batting .255 with a .342 OBP and .812 OPS. While his career batting averages vs. both RHP and LHP are similar, he delivers all of his power vs. RHP, which is exactly what the Astros are seeking.
Mitchell’s addition would also allow the Astros to be more comfortable as they break Cam Smith in to be able to also play CF as a backup, while continuing his strong and improving defensive play in RF. It would also give the Astros legit power from the left side against RHP since the infield is exclusively right handed, with Sanchez, Mitchell, and Cole in the OF and Yordan DH – creating a balanced lineup.
Thompson is a 22-year old LHP selected in the 2nd round of the 2025 draft. While his fastball generally sits 91-93, he does top out at 95, and was near the top of the list in college baseball as far as getting batters to chase and generating swings and misses.
He also throws a sweeper (primarily to lefties), curve and change. He could project as a mid-rotation starter if he continues to develop his secondary pitches and continues success with fastball.
Paredes would give the Brewers the right-handed power they crave at a position they don’t currently have an answer for at the moment. American Family Field (the Brewers’ home park) is very friendly to right-handed pull hitters with power. Paredes would likely see an increase in power production moving from Daikin Park to American Family Field, according to advanced metrics.
For the Astros, this works on several levels:
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They clear the infield log jam
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They pare down payroll by almost $8M
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They get a lefty SP prospect
Now this is not a report of the teams talking, it is simply a look at two teams who have needs that match up via trade.
It does seem to be a potential fit for both teams.
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