Houston Astros get intriguing all-around player on minor league deal

There has been no bigger turnaround this season than what the Houston Astros have made over the past two months.

After starting the year as one of the most disappointing teams in baseball, as they continued to stay several games below .500, they were 50-44 heading into Saturday, just two games out of first place in their division and 1.5 games out of the final wild-card spot.

When the Astros were struggling, many people around MLB thought they might have to sell out at the trade deadline, moving some of their most coveted pieces to get a return that would help them in the future.

General manager Dana Brown has consistently pushed back on that idea, saying he believes this team will turn things around and get back into the game.

He was right, and there’s a good chance Houston will become a buyer at the deadline as usual, but before July 30 arrives, they made an intriguing roster move.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, The Astros reunited all-around player Aledmys Diaz on a minor league deal where he will be assigned to their Florida complex. He was released by the Oakland Athletics on July 5 after injuries limited him to just 12 games this season.

This is a low-risk move for Houston.

They’re adding a depth player who has major league experience and was part of their 2022 World Series-winning team. And as they look for more options at first base, there’s a chance he can provide that after playing 60 games at the position in his major league career.

Hopefully the 33-year-old can return to the 101 OPS+ hitter he was with the Astros during his four seasons with them. He would be another option they could turn to throughout the long year as they try to win their division again.