BREAKING NEWS: Houston Astros Swing for the Fences, Land NL Hits Leader Brendan Donovan in Stunning Trade to Resurrect Slumping Offense

While the Houston Astros have been able to stay around the .500 mark thanks to a pitching staff that ranks fifth in Major League Baseball in ERA, their offense is a shell of what it has been during their championship runs.

It was expected that the Astros would be in store for some regression after losing All-Stars Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman this winter, but few could have expected the club would score fewer runs than the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins and have their team batting average fall by over 20 points. Though some of the decline can be attributed to slugger Yordan Álvarez’s hand injury, the acquisitions of Christian Walker (.205 AVG, .617 OPS) and Isaac Paredes (.256 AVG, .756 OPS) have failed to replace Bregman and Tucker’s production, while rookie Cam Smith, the centerpiece of the Tucker trade, has struggled to adjust to big-league pitching and is hitting just .212.

Above all other issues, however, is the complete lack of lineup balance. With Álvarez on the injured list, the only left-handed hitters on the team are backup catchers Victor Caratini and César Salazar, and even when Álvarez returns, the Astros still leave themselves susceptible to right-handed pitchers. In an American League West division that features arms like Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Bryan Woo, the Astros are at a distinct disadvantage, and acquiring a left-handed batter at the deadline looks like a must. Sports Illustrated’s Dylan Sanders believes they can find a solution in St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan.

“(Donovan’s) game has gone to a new level this year, and he was already very solid,” Sanders wrote. “Maybe most importantly, he would be a much-needed second left-handed hitter. He would see a ton of right-handed pitching which is something that he dominates.”

The 28-year-old Donovan has long been a steady contributor to the Cardinals’ attack but he has been one of the best hitters in the National League this year, leading the Senior Circuit with 46 hits and placing second to Freddie Freeman with a .331 batting average. In addition to being a left-handed hitter, Donovan would also provide an immediate upgrade over current second baseman Brendan Rodgers (1 HR, .619 OPS) and be a perfect complement to Jose Altuve to form a pesky top-of-the-order in front of Álvarez.