Astros' ongoing breakdown is Mariners' cue to go all-in at MLB trade deadline

Despite losing some of their best players in the offseason, the Houston Astros have once again found a way to be a baseball powerhouse this year.

With a record of 60-42 and a 6.0-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West, it seems like a foregone conclusion that they'll win the division for the eighth time in nine seasons. Even through injuries to key players, they haven't shown any real signs of slowing down but the latest obstacle for the team might be too much to overcome, even for them.

The Astros just keep racking up injuries as Mariners try to catch them

The Astros recently announced two more major additions to their injured list: Lance McCullers Jr. and Isaac Paredes.

McCullers is no stranger to missing significant time, given that he hasn't pitched more than 50 innings in a season since 2021. This time, he's headed to the 10-day injured list with a blister that has apparently been a lingering issue and flared back up during his last start against the Mariners. Paredes is headed to the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain that has been labeled as pretty significant by manager Joe Espada.

McCullers has struggled this year, posting a 6.90 ERA over 44.1 innings with bottom of the barrel peripherals across the board. Normally his absence wouldn't mean much, but he's one of seven starting pitchers currently on the shelf, leaving the Astros scrambling to fill out the rotation. Spencer Arrigehtti and Cristian Javier are the closest to coming back, but they're not set to return until August.

Paredes is a much more obvious loss. He has been a great piece of Houston's lineup, posting a 130 OPS+ with 19 home runs and 15 doubles, making him the most valuable position player by rWAR (2.8) other than Jeremy Peña (4.4). The responsibility of the hot corner will now fall to journeyman Zack Short and rookie Shay Whitcomb. Mauricio Dubón is another viable option for the team but he's spread thin as is, appearing on the depth chart at six other positions.

To Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, these create obvious needs for the Astros to fill at the trade deadline. But at this point, it seems nearly impossible that they'll be able to reinforce their roster back to full strength with rental pieces, at least not without depleting their already weak farm system. Furthermore, any longer-term acquisitions would saddle the organization with even more financial burden than they currently have. According to Cot's Contracts, their Year-End 40-Man payroll currently stands at $222.9 million, more than all but five MLB teams.

For the Mariners, there has never been a better time to step on the gas. Seattle's front office has been vocal about its plans to be aggressive at the trade deadline. Now, with Houston bruised and battered, the right moves could lead to the team's first division title since 2001. Rumored trade targets should be strongly pursued, even if there's big market competition, and financial restrictions should be relaxed to make way for more cash-costly acquisitions.

There's still a balance to be maintained between maximizing championship equity for the present and ensuring a strong future, but this season could signal a major inflection point in the fate of the AL West. For nearly a decade, the Astros have stood atop the division. If they play their cards right, the Mariners could set themselves up to create a decade-long dynasty of their own.