Astros’ shopping list takes shape: Nootbaar, Holmes, Larnach (and more) emerge as trade-theory targets

Houston has spent much of the season balancing day-to-day performance with the longer-term question all buyers face by midyear: what upgrades are realistic, and what tradeoffs can be absorbed without disrupting the rest of the roster? In that context, a recent list of “under the radar” trade targets frames three names as particularly intriguing fits for the Astros if they choose to be active, including Cardinals corner outfielder Lars Nootbaar, Mets pitcher Clay Holmes, and Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach.

Nootbaar is described as a quality on-base-oriented option for a team looking for consistent bat-to-base production, with the added caveat that his 2026 season has been affected by offseason heel surgery. According to the write-up, his year only began in early June due to surgery on both heels, and that procedure has been tied to running limitations in recent seasons. When healthy, the column argues his defense and left-handed bat give him a controllable platoon-type profile.

The same report links Nootbaar’s value to his offensive profile, citing a current line of.270 batting average,.353 on-base percentage, and.769 OPS across 26 games, at the time of publication. It also places him in a relatively trade-manageable contractual window, noting he is on a one-year, $5.25 million deal and has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining. Those contract details are central to why he shows up in “target” lists for contenders, because they shape what a trade might cost and what the Astros would be committing to beyond this season.

Trevor Larnach is presented in the same spirit: a player who can be acquired without requiring the Astros to take on the entire long-term question of another club’s rebuild. The analysis portrays 2026 as Larnach’s strongest pro season, pointing to a.292 batting average,.387 OBP, and.833 OPS, and also notes pacing for career-high runs and doubles. It emphasizes that speed is not his calling card, so left field is characterized as his best defensive position, while his arm is described as accurate enough to keep him playable in that role.

Larnach’s broader fit, in this telling, is tied to roster construction. The report notes that Minnesota has multiple left-handed outfield options creating a logjam, while the Astros, as a potential trade partner, are positioned to capitalize on that imbalance. It also highlights contract context again, describing a one-year, $4.475 million commitment and additional arbitration eligibility. For Houston, that combination is the type that can make a bench or platoon upgrade feel less like an all-in move and more like a targeted swing.

Pitching is represented by Clay Holmes, though the framing here is less about immediacy and more about the trajectory of a player working toward a return. The report says Holmes recently reinvented his role, turning into a starter over the last two seasons after spending much of his first seven seasons in relief. It also provides a pre-injury snapshot, describing a 4-4 record, 2.39 ERA, and 1.10 WHIP across nine starts before an incident involving a line drive comebacker led to a fracture and placement on injured list.

The write-up further discusses an expected timeline for getting back on the mound, stating Holmes was expected to face live batters in about a week, followed by a rehab assignment later in the month, with an early-August return expectation. It adds that Holmes is in the second year of a three-year, $38 million contract, earning $13 million in 2026, with a player option listed for $12 million. That blend of near-term recovery and prior production helps explain why he fits a “watch list” rather than a fantasy-for-fantasy reasons-only rumor.

Notably, the title also includes two additional names, Adam Wacha and Nick Weaver, as part of the same overall target set. However, the research available for this project centers on Nootbaar, Larnach, and Holmes, so any deeper assessment of Wacha and Weaver’s specific fit, production, and availability would require further reporting or additional primary confirmation. What to watch next, for Houston fans, is whether the team’s front office treats these names as formal trade considerations or simply as public markers of what profile they value: on-base corners, cost-controlled options, and rotation-or-bullpen pieces that can move the needle without collapsing depth behind them.