Angels’ division rival makes cost-cutting move as race for AL West heats up

On the tail of the Angels shocking the entirety of MLB with their swap of outfielder Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez, the American League West is taking no breaks. With the Seattle Mariners getting the offseason started by resigning their elite, fan favorite first baseman Josh Naylor to a 5-year, $92 million deal, the Houston Astros have officially joined the offseason as well…and it looks like they might be gearing up for something massive. 

Astros join Angels in trade market, igniting race for AL West

Wednesday was a relatively slow news day around the big leagues, as reactions from the Angels’ heist of the Orioles were the main plot line. That was until later in the evening, when the Houston Astros struck a deal with Atlanta. The Astros sent out Mauricio Dubón - their Gold Glove winning utility man - for shortstop and second baseman Nick Allen from Atlanta. On the service, this trade makes little sense. Allen earned himself 0.7 WAR in 2025, appearing in 135 games for Atlanta while Dubón was worth 2.2 WAR (per FanGraphs’ WAR). This also comes right after the Astros designated infielder/utilityman Ramón Urías for assignment, leaving quite a gap in their infield. 

However, Dubón was projected to make ~$5.8 million in his final season of arbitration in 2026, while Allen is going into his first year of arbitration, has three years of team control left, and is projected to make ~$1.5 million in 2026. 

Overall, this move saves money at a position where the Astros believe Allen can provide some upside and similar production to Dubón. Astros’ general manager Dana Brown told reporters,”I think it’s a potential upside play. You’re getting a little bit younger in your utility role. It’s a former high pick, he’s the speed package, he’s a really good defender on the infield.” 

This sets up the Astros to be more aggressive in free agency than they were set to be. They’re losing starting pitcher Framber Valdez to free agency, and a reunion is not expected as The Athletic project him to just to AL East listing the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Orioles as his best fits. 

As the Astros try to catch up to the Mariners (while warding up the Texas Rangers, Athletics, and Angels), they’re going to need all the financial flexibility possible this offseason. If they can save $4 million and acquire a player they believe in, they will. This move might not look great on paper for the Astros, but if it gives them the ability to steal free agent starting pitching away from the Angels, it could come back to bite the Halos this offseason.