"They will not hold back" - MLB analyst predicts Astros to make bold moves at trade deadline in pursuit of another World Series title

After starting the season poorly, the Houston Astros have made an uphill climb to turn things around. They currently sit in second place in the American League West with a 43-41 record.

They are just three games behind the Seattle Mariners, who lead the division. The pitching staff is starting to find their footing and the offense has been hot at the plate as of late.

The team's recent shift has many wondering what Houston will do come August 1 during MLB's trade deadline. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal went on a recent airing of "Foul Territory" to discuss the team's recent success and how that could play into the deadline:

"This is a team that has come a long way, and it's really interesting how they've done it without Tucker and with Ronel Blanco and Hunter Brown as their big-time guys in the rotation," Rosenthal said.

Rosenthal was impressed that Houston has been able to overcome their struggles with guys like Blanco and Brown at the top of the rotation. However, the pair have stepped up for their club lately:

"It's a pretty interesting group, and they will not hold back at the deadline," he added.

While noting the excellence of Blanco and Hunter, Rosenthal believes the club will be aggressive during the deadline. While no targets were mentioned, bringing in another arm or two would alleviate a lot of the pressure Houston is facing.

Who could Astros target ahead of trade deadline?

Houston Astros - Joe Espada (Image via USA Today)

One thing that the Houston Astros need is another starting pitcher or two. While Ronel Blanco has been stellar, the club needs to be realistic about how long he can keep up his impressive numbers.

Even if Blanco can keep it up all season long, Justin Verlander has struggled to stay off the IL. On top of that, Framber Valdez has been hit-or-miss with each of his starts.

Luckily for Houston, there are some exciting arms that many believe will be on the market. The front office could look at trading for somebody like Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde or Jack Flaherty.

All three pitchers have been named multiple times as possible trade candidates, and all would be excellent options. None would cost the team too much and would immediately strengthen their rotation.

Watch out for Houston to get aggressive over the next few weeks as the trade deadline approaches on July 30.