MLB analyst: "The Houston Astros say they don’t have an untouchable prospect in their farm system"

At the midway point of the season, the Houston Astros are in quite an unfamiliar situation. Despite winning an MLB-best 106 games last season, the team's 2023 postseason hopes now hang in the balance.

A succession of injuries has left the team unable to advance with a coherent core this season. Former MVP Jose Altuve missed the first two months of the season with a finger injury, while superstar Yordan Alvarez has been out since early June with an oblique injury.

Additionally, Michael Brantley continues to give no indications of a potential return to the lineup, and their $58 million first baseman Jose Abreu has only just started to show up.

Currently, the Astros are three games behind the Texas Rangers after besting their cross state rivals in a tense four-game series. However, the Astros are tied with the New York Yankees for the second AL Wild Card spot.

"The @Astros outlast the Rangers in an AL West slugfest" - MLB

The growing sense of uncertainty has led to questions surrounding what moves the Houston Astros are poised to take come deadline. Most onlookers cannot decide if the team will go all-in for another post season run by trading prospects for short-term talent, or lay off and count the year out.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the appetite for trading prospects is very low within the Houston Astros organization. The top prospect for the Astros is outfielder Tim Gilbert, who was selected in the first round in 2022. On the possibility of the Astros dealing a prospect like Gilbert, Nightengale said:

"The Houston Astros say they don’t have an untouchable prospect in their farm system, but would be highly reluctant to move outfielder Drew Gilbert,"

While the Houston Astros have had some tremendous pitching this season, the prevailing thought is that they might need another arm to make a deep playoff run. New York Mets ace Max Scherzer has been floated as a possibility, but the Mets will undoubtedly want a young talent like Drew Gilbert in return.

Is the sun setting on the Houston Astros' dynasty?

While the team's core remains, key parts like Justin Verlander and Yuli Gurriel are noticeably absent from the lineup. As such, the Astros will need to make the important choice between attempting to keep the talent they have working, or embarking on one of the most comprehensive rebuilds in modern baseball.