The Houston Astros are finding themselves in a situation which becomes a little bit more of a mess with each passing day when it comes to their infield logjam.
Even though he has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason long, Houston has been unable to find a package they like enough to trade away Isaac Paredes, and there simply is not a spot for him on the field right now.
On Monday, it was suggested by baseball insider Ken Rosenthal that the Astros must find a way to figure this out and move him. Now, a new column from Rosenthal in The Athletic (subscription required) proposes a way to make it happen which would land Houston at least one star outfielder from the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-team deal.
Astros Could Acquire Lars Nootbaar or Alec Burleson from Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images“The St. Louis Cardinals have two left-handed hitting outfielders who might interest the Astros, Lars Nootbaar and Alec Burleson,” Rosenthal wrote. “Paredes isn’t a fit for a rebuilding club like St. Louis, so the Astros would need to find a taker elsewhere in a three-team arrangement. That’s the kind of concept Brown should be revisiting.”
Rosenthal’s suggestion to negotiate with St. Louis and a third team comes on the heels of the fact that the Boston Red Sox — who were and may still be the most logical fit for Paredes — are less desperate after their trade for Caleb Durbin.
While Boston could be interested, Houston has considerably less leverage than they once did because of their need being less, and by the sounds of it they were struggling to agree to a deal even before that.
Which Cardinals Star is Better Fit for Astros?
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson | Reinhold Matay-Imagn ImagesThough Burleson played mostly first base last season for St. Louis, he is capable of playing the outfield, albeit at a below average level on defense. His value is carried by his impressive slash line (.290/.343/.459 with 18 home runs and 59 RBI in 2025) and would certainly play in Houston’s lineup.
Nootbaar meanwhile is an excellent defender, but his bat took a huge dip in 2025 with a slash line of just .234/.325/.361, though he did have a career high in RBI. At this stage of their careers, Burleson is the more valuable player and likely a better fit for the Astros needs.
Regardless, the bigger issue is the fact that Houston does not have a spot for Paredes in the infield, and despite how impactful his bat was in 2025, there are simply not enough plate appearances to go around.
If the Astros were able to swing a deal that landed them an established outfielder like Nootbaar or Burleson at this late stage of Paredes negotiations, it would be hard to see it as anything other than a major victory for Dana Brown. Keep an ear out to see if he is indeed able to swing a move involving the Cardinals plus a third team to put Houston in a better spot headed into 2026.
