GM Dana Brown must address Astros' needs at MLB trade deadline

The club has reportedly been looking at Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals as another option at third base. Arenado had a chance to join Houston in the offseason, potentially, but rejected any trade talk at that time.

Looking to the Astros' rotation, that has, for much of the season, anchored itself around Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. That said, any other arms that could help stabilize the rotation are welcome.

Astros fans might want to keep their eyes on San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease, who is in the crosshairs of a possible deal to Houston. Some people might be scared off due to Cease's 4.79 ERA, but the Astros have a history of turning around pitchers' careers.

When looking at the Astros' potential trade deals, it will be interesting to see what team owner Jim Crane can do from a financial standpoint. 

Astros manager Joe Espada has used more than 100 different lineups this season, doing his best to mix and match when possible. A collection of minor-league call-ups has been the Astros' strategy for some time.

Brown, though, knows that to reach the postseason and succeed, getting players with MLB experience is necessary. Triple-A players can only get a team so far during the regular season.

He's going to be busy as the MLB trade deadline draws to a close Thursday. If Brown can get a couple of more bats or even another arm, then he and the Astros might consider it a success. The clock is ticking, though, and time is running out.