Houston Astros General Manager Dana Brown told The Athletic the team plans to acquire a left-handed hitting outfielder before the upcoming trade deadline. Brown cited a need to address a roster imbalance.

The Astros have recorded 906 plate appearances from left-handed hitters this year, the fewest in Major League Baseball. Yordan Alvarez accounts for 402 of those plate appearances. The team has identified a need for another outfielder who bats from the left side of the plate.

ESPN reporter Jeff Passan labeled Daulton Varsho as a "dream" trade target for the Astros. Varsho, an outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, is hitting .246/.314/.399 with seven home runs and a 93 OPS+ through 80 games. He plays center field for the Blue Jays and is among their free agents-to-be.

"Varsho's inclusion here is more a reflection of the current standings than any desire from Toronto to offload players," Passan said. "One bonanza week and the Blue Jays could be right back in the postseason mix." He added, "As it stands, however, they are faced with a very difficult choice if things don't change: One season after nearly winning the World Series, is their mediocre first half going to prompt them to move their free agents-to-be?"

The Astros previously traded left-handed hitting outfielder Jesús Sánchez to the Blue Jays for left-handed hitting outfielder Joey Loperfido on the eve of spring training. Sánchez is hitting .274/.316/.437 for Toronto and is owed $6.8 million in 2026. Loperfido is owed the league minimum in 2026. Brown also mentioned that the Astros are open to adding a right-handed reliever.