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After a trip to the postseason in 2015, the Houston Astros have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball thus far in the 2016 season. The Astros have already dug themselves into a 10-game hole in the AL West, and barring a complete turnaround, they are destined to be sellers on the trade market this summer. Assuming that’s the case, Houston must consider trading outfielder Colby Rasmus.
Rasmus has put up comparable numbers to last season, but without a higher batting average and at least a little more power, there’s no way the Astros can justify making him another qualifying offer and paying him $15.8 million as they did last offseason. Thus, he is likely to explore the free agent market this winter, giving the Astros little reason to hang onto him if they’re out of the playoff hunt in July. Rasmus is not a complete player, but he can do some damage against right-handed pitching, which is enough to make him an attractive trade chip for contending teams looking to add some offense.
The Astros obviously like Rasmus enough to have made him a qualifying offer last winter, even if they were just hoping he’d decline so they could steal a draft pick. But Houston would not be wise to pursue a long-term extension with him after the season. Part of Houston’s problem this season is a lineup with too many players who carry a high strikeout rate and don’t hit for a high average. They’d be best served trying to remove at least one or two of those types of hitters from their roster, including Rasmus.
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