It's become a fairly busy offseason for the Houston Astros after early indications suggested they were going to be dormant.
The winter is a long period of time for front offices to maneuver and figure out how they want to add pieces to the organization, and Dana Brown was able to put together a solid showing during his first offseason in charge.
Josh Hader was the big whale that the Astros were able to land, but according to Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 in Houston, they have made a trade with the Los Angeles Angels to acquire infielder Trey Cabbage.
In exchange, the Astros are sending the Angels 22-year-old, minor league pitcher Carlos Espinosa who made 11 appearances and started six games for their Single-A affiliate last season.
To make room for Cabbage, Houston designated right-handed pitcher Declan Cronin for assignment.
The Astros are getting back a talented infielder in Cabbage who was originally selected in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins.
He spent roughly six years within their organization, making it up to their Double-A affiliate, before electing free agency after the 2021 season and deciding to sign a minor league deal with Los Angeles.
Across 107 games at the Triple-A level in 2023, Cabbage slashed .306/.379/.596 with 30 home runs, 58 extra-base hits and 89 RBI.
The Angels called him up to the MLB for the first time in July last year. He appeared in 22 games and had a slash line of .208/.232/.321 with one home run and seven RBI.
They designated him for assignment on Jan. 27 before deciding to ship him to Houston.
It's likely that Cabbage continues his career with the Astros' Triple-A affiliate to start the season and will be on standby to get called up in case he is needed.
Houston was able to add another depth piece to their organization to help them compete for a World Series title without giving up much in return.
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