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Long-Rumored Astros Trade Target Believed He Was Going To Get Sent There

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI | By Brad Wakai | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Houston Astros were linked to some specific players ahead of the trade deadline.

Because general manager Dana Brown was so open about exactly what they were targeting, that made it fairly straight forward to connect the dots when it came to who they might pursue. However, the Astros shocked everyone when they reunited with Carlos Correa, bringing back the former face of their franchise to plug the hole at third base.

Jesus Sanchez was the other notable acquisition they made, giving Houston the left-handed bat they were searching for to upgrade an outfield unit that had been looking for answers all year long. But now that the dust has settled, information about the deadline is starting to come out.

And according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required), there was one player who was constantly linked to Houston who believed he would end up there.

Ryan O'Hearn Thought He'd Get Traded To Astros

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With Brown explicitly stating they were looking for a left-handed hitter, that put O'Hearn seemingly at the top of the list considering he had an All-Star first half in the midst of his career-best season. But much to the surprise of the slugger, the Astros didn't make a move to acquire him.

"O'Hearn thought he would be traded to one of four teams — Boston, Milwaukee, Texas or Houston," wrote Rosenthal.

Why Houston didn't go after him isn't exactly clear, but perhaps they had a good feeling that Yordan Alvarez would be able to come back for the stretch run of the campaign and be an impact player for them when he returned.

Rumored to make his return on Tuesday following a rehab assignment, Alvarez could be the biggest de facto trade deadline addition if he is able to find his past form where he was one of the most feared hitters in the game.

As for O'Hearn, he found a home out west for the rest of the year with the San Diego Padres, a team that pushed their chips to the center of the table more than anyone else. But that wasn't his first choice when it came to a destination, with Rosenthal adding the slugger requested a move to Texas if possible.

"He actually asked Orioles GM Mike Elias if he could be sent to one of the Texas teams so he could be closer to his home in Dallas, but knew his request carried only so much weight," the insider stated.