Astros predicted to land better trade return for Yordan Alvarez than $765M star

Astros predicted to land better trade return for Yordan Alvarez than $765M star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Houston Astros are having a rough 2026 season, sitting at 16-25, they're in last place in the AL West, and are only a game ahead of the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants for the worst record in baseball.

With how bad things are going, it would hardly be a surprise for the Astros to wind up as sellers this year. And if they do, they have some very appealing names like Isaac Paredes, Bryan Abreu, Josh Hader, and Jeremy Pena, who could be on the move.

But, Yordan Alvarez is by far the best player who could be on the move. But what could the Astros get in return for Alvarez? According to one MLB executive, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Astros could land a generational haul.

Astros could land generational haul for Yordan Alvarez

"If they traded him," one MLB executive said, "I think they'd get a better package than what the Nationals got for Juan Soto."

This kind of return would be massive for the Astros, as even though they would be losing one of the best players in the sport, they would get a return that could set them up for long-term success.

Soto was dealt by the Washington Nationals to the San Diego Padres back in 2022, and the Nationals got a massive return.

James Wood, CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Luke Voit, Jarlin Susana, and Robert Hassell III all came back in the Soto trade.

If the Astros were to receive a return on-par or better, as this MLB executive predicts, then Houston would be more than capable of recovering from an Alvarez trade.

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Of course, it's far from a guarantee that a team would even offer such a package, especially since Soto was a lot younger and on a much cheaper contract than the one he is on now with the New York Mets at $765 million, or Alvarez's current deal.

However, Alvarez is the better hitter and would be an instant upgrade for a team in postseason contention. A contender that needs more power in their lineup would surely be okay parting with a massive haul of prospects to bring in Alvarez.

Realistically, the Astros won't actually trade away Alvarez. It would be a massively unpopular decision for the franchise.

But if this predicted return for an Alvarez trade were to come to fruition, then the Astros should, at the very least, keep the phone lines open to seriously entertain offers.