The Houston Astros are having a rough start to the 2026 MLB season, but one thing reportedly is not changing anytime soon. Despite trade rumors spreading around baseball, the Astros are not planning to move star slugger Yordan Alvarez before the trade deadline. Reporter Will Kunkel shared the update on X and made it very clear where Houston stands on the situation. “I am told Astros star Yordan Alvarez is ‘NOT ON THE MARKET,’ per a source. There have been ZERO calls of interest on Alvarez at this point,” Kunkel wrote.That report quickly slowed down the growing speculation around Alvarez. Houston enters the weekend with a 15-23 record and is tied for last place in the American League West. Even with those struggles, the Astros are still only 4.5 games behind the division-leading Athletics because the AL West has been weak overall this season. That has given Houston reason to stay patient instead of making dramatic roster changes this early in the year.
Yordan Alvarez remains untouchable as Houston Astros continue fighting through disappointing 2026 season
The idea of trading Yordan Alvarez always felt unlikely, even with the Astros struggling. Alvarez is still one of the best hitters in baseball and remains one of the biggest reasons Houston believes it can recover during the second half of the season.The 28-year-old is under contract through the 2028 season, so the Astros are not under pressure to move him right now. Teams usually trade star players when contracts are about to expire or when a rebuild becomes unavoidable. Neither situation applies here.Houston also knows how valuable Alvarez is in the middle of the lineup. While the team has struggled to win games consistently, Alvarez has continued producing at an elite level. Through 38 games, he is batting .319 with a .423 on-base percentage and a .638 slugging percentage. He has already launched 12 home runs and remains one of the most dangerous left-handed hitters in baseball.Because of that production, moving Alvarez would only make sense if the Astros completely gave up on competing. At the moment, that doesn’t appear to be happening. The division standings are still close enough that a strong stretch could quickly put Houston back into the playoff race.There is also the possibility of future contract talks. If the Astros cannot work out another long-term extension later on, trade discussions could always happen next season. But right now, the front office seems focused on trying to fix the current roster instead of breaking it apart.The Astros will continue that effort Friday night when they open a road game against the Cincinnati Reds. Houston badly needs momentum, but according to the latest report, that push forward will still include Yordan Alvarez in the middle of the lineup.
