Astros, Angels make intriguing trade

The Houston Astros reportedly acquired Trey Cabbage, a versatile position player, from the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston. The Astros dealt right-handed pitcher Carlos Espinosa to the Angels as part of the trade, and designated right-handed pitcher Declan Cronin for assignment.

Cabbage isn’t the kind of player that will steal headlines. He was a fairly well-regarded prospect with offensive potential, though. He played the majority of his games in 2023 at the Triple-A level, but did see 26 games with the Halos.

In 107 games with Triple-A Salt Lake, Cabbage slashed an impressive .306/.379/.596/.975 and hit 30 home runs, per Baseball Reference. He failed to replicate that success in his brief stint with the Angels, slashing .208/.232/.321/.553 across 56 at-bats. Nevertheless, Cabbage offers power from the left-side of the plate and can play in the outfield or first base.

His versatility and offensive potential make him an intriguing prospect. At 26 years old, Cabbage still could emerge as an everyday player at the big league level. But even if he turns into a fourth outfielder/backup infielder, Cabbage could still carve out a decent MLB career.

Astros’ offseason

The Astros had a relatively quiet offseason prior to signing star reliever Josh Hader. Houston may look to make some other moves, but for the most part the Astros’ roster appears to be set. They will continue to lean on their Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman-led core of players, with stars such as Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker also playing important roles.

And perhaps Trey Cabbage will receive an opportunity with the Astros during the 2024 season. This trade isn’t one that will get Houston fans overly-excited, but has the potential to pay dividends not just in 2024, but for years to come.