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3 Top Prospects the Astros Can Afford to Trade in Potential Future Blockbuster Deal

By Brendan Balsamo

There are definitely some high-ranked Astros prospects that could see themselves on different teams come the close of 2020.
There are definitely some high-ranked Astros prospects that could see themselves on different teams come the close of 2020. / Michael Reaves/Getty Images

There was a point in time when the Houston Astros minor league system was unbelievably stacked with talent like Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and George Springer. But that's far from the case at the moment.

That's not to say they don't have talent, though. Here are three Astros top prospects who could see themselves be moved in a blockbuster deal if the opportunity presents itself for Houston.

3. Enoli Paredes

Enoli Paredes struggles with command, but could end up playing in the bigs by the end of 2020.
Enoli Paredes struggles with command, but could end up playing in the bigs by the end of 2020. / Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Enoli Paredes, standing at only 5'11", is on the short side, but his violent delivery makes him deceptive to hitters. He's seen some fantastic development during in his time in the minors, as his velocity has seen an uptick almost five miles per hour from when he was drafted. That helped him throw to a 2.73 ERA with 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 2019. He struggles with command though, and if another team looking in sees that as something they can fix, expect him to be a valued trade target.

2. Korey Lee

Korey Lee is said to have been overdrafted, but another team may really like him as well.
Korey Lee is said to have been overdrafted, but another team may really like him as well. / Bob Levey/Getty Images

Cal product and catcher Korey Lee was the Astros' first-round pick in 2020 and is their fourth-ranked prospect in the system. The Astros have been working a lot with him not only behind the plate but at first base and outfield too though, making him a very tradable asset. He doesn't possess much power, but he gets on base at a tremendous clip (.377 in college and .359 in the minors), which teams will value.

1. Freudis Nova

Freudis Nova is the Astros' second-ranked prospect and their highest ranked infielder. Although not much of a defensive threat, the kid can really hit despite his struggles in his first games above rookie ball in 2019. He's likely to end up at second or third base in the long run, and as we know, those positions are taken for quite a while in Houston by Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. It's going to be tough for him to break in, making a trade realistic if the Astros go for a blockbuster.