The Houston Astros, ahead of the MLB trade deadline, have two clear needs. They need to add a left-handed bat, and also need to look for a left fielder. With an uncertain trade deadline with a lot of bubble teams, the Astros could struggle to find the right players.

Fortunately, there’s a team with two potential players who could help the Astros resolve both areas of need. That team is the Baltimore Orioles. And after they completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays involving Bryan Baker, there’s optimism that the players they’re targeting will be available.

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In Ken Rosenthal’s piece for The Athletic on the Orioles trade, he provided a telling quote from Orioles general manager Mike Elias. “This is something that was not our plan,” Elias said, “To be trading players off the Major League team in July. But we’re responding to the situation. We’ll see what the next few weeks bring.”

This quote from Elias doesn’t outright say the team will be sellers, but it does imply the team is open to moving players. When referencing potential players still potentially being moved, the Orioles are more likely to trade expiring deals instead of long-term players.

For the Astros, this comment from Elias is a great sign. If the Orioles are open to moving their players, especially those on expiring deals, the Astros are in luck. Both of the players the Astros are most likely to target are on expiring deals.

Both Ryan O’Hearn and Cedric Mullins are in the final years of their deals and will be unrestricted free agents at year’s end. Mullins and O’Hearn can both play in the outfield, with Mullins having the potential to play in center field, which could be a need now that Jake Meyers is banged up.

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If both weren’t already solid fits, they are also left-handed hitting batters. For a team that ranked in dead last in at-bats from lefty hitters, adding a lefty at the trade deadline is imperative.

Both of the Orioles’ options would be incredible gets for the Astros. They are lefty-bats, with the ability to play in the outfield. Of the two, while Mullins has the better history, a 30-home-run season in 2021, O’Hearn is better this season, being named the starting designated hitter for the AL All-Star team.

Either would be a great pickup for the Astros, and the comments from Elias point towards both being available, despite conflicting reports that the Orioles won’t sell. Amid their lost season, not moving on from players who’ll walk would be a waste.

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Even though Houston doesn’t have the best trade capital, they could still swing a deal for either Mullins or O’Hearn, with both veteran sluggers set to hit free agency at year’s end.

Overall, the Orioles trade with the Rays is great news for the Astros. It opens the door to two of the best fits for the Astros being available at the deadline. If Houston could land Mullins or O’Hearn, it’d be a great deadline pickup for a team that isn’t lacking much.

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