Could Astros Acquire Brandon Lowe From Rays in Trade Deadline Blockbuster?

The Houston Astros are in a familiar spot heading into the All-Star break of the 2025 MLB regular season: atop the American League West.

It isn’t a place many expected the Astros to be after how much talent the team lost in the offseason combined with yet another slow start to their campaign.

Alas, the gold standard in baseball has once again overcome the odds and looks to be as dangerous as ever this year.

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Houston has a dominant one-two punch leading the rotation with Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. The bullpen is excellent, anchored by closer Josh Hader, with Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, Bryan King and Bennet Sousa ahead of him.

Where the Astros could use some help is in the lineup.

Scoring runs has been a challenge for the team at points with several key contributors struggling to produce.

First baseman Christian Walker has been a bust and Yordan Alvarez when healthy hasn’t been close to the MVP-level contributor he has been in years past.

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But, the biggest hole the team has in its lineup is at second base.

With Jose Altuve playing a majority of his innings in left field, the team has been cycling through several players at the keystone, with Brendan Rodgers, Mauricio Dubon and Altuve all starting at least 29 games.

Shay Whitcomb and Luis Guillorme have also started games at second base.

Production has not been great, which could lead to Houston looking to make an addition ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

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One player that has been floated as a potential target is Brandon Lowe of the Tampa Bay Rays.

He would be a perfect fit for the Astros, filling their biggest need in the lineup while providing the team with a much-needed left-handed bat.

Alas, the price to acquire him would not be cheap, especially since the Rays are right in the thick of the playoff race in the American League.

What would it cost to land him?

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Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) has provided some insight.

“I think you could get Lowe for either Janek or Matthews. The Rays have been looking for a long-term solution at catcher, and Janek, a first-round pick last year out of Sam Houston, could end up being the answer for them,” the former MLB executive wrote.

Walker Janek is currently playing at High-A with an MLB ETA of 2027. He is the No. 3 ranked prospect in the Houston organization who possesses a good floor with his defensive abilities.

What will determine how impactful he is at the Major League level is his raw power and whether it develops.

Brice Matthews, a first-round pick in 2023, is already knocking on the door of a Big League promotion. He is the No. 1 ranked prospect in the organization and some are surprised he hasn’t received a shot to play at second base yet with the Major League club.

An excellent athlete, he possesses legitimate 25/25 upside, but he does have to work on improving his contact rate. He doesn’t chase a ton, but has a 31% strikeout rate in 2024.

Either prospect would be a steep price to pay, but could be the final piece to the puzzle.

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