One trade-deadline prediction for each AL West team

The AL West surely will be active in the days leading up to the Major League Baseball trade deadline Tuesday.

After a dismal start to the season, the Houston Astros find themselves in first partly because of the Seattle Mariners' offensive struggles. Houston and Seattle are expected to make upgrades ahead of the deadline while the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers will presumably sell off assets to prepare for next season.

Here's one prediction for what each AL West team will do at the trade deadline. (All statistics and records are through Wednesday’s games.)

Houston Astros (53-49)

Prediction: Acquire Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz and RHP Zach Eflin

Houston's quest to make eight consecutive ALCS appearances is still alive. The Astros were last in the division entering May , but since June 1, no team in the American League has a better record than their 28-16 mark.

Despite the impressive turnaround, Houston desperately needs an upgrade at first base after the Jose Abreu experiment didn't pan out, and it would also benefit from bolstering its starting rotation.

Earlier this season, the Astros checked in on several high-profile first basemen because it has the lowest bWAR ( -1.3 ) and worst OPS ( .585 ) from the position among teams. According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, New York Mets star Pete Alonso and Arizona's Christian Walker were among the names Houston inquired about, though neither is expected to be traded. However, Diaz may be a realistic target if the Rays deal veteran pieces.

Diaz, who is on the restricted list due to personal matters, isn't performing at the same level he was last season when he won the AL batting title, but he's still effective. In 94 games, the 32-year-old has a slash line of .273/.329/.396 with eight home runs and 46 RBI.

Although it will be costly to acquire Diaz, Houston can likely lower the price — while addressing its pitching need — by taking on Eflin (4.09 ERA) and his $18M salary for 2025.

Los Angeles Angels (45-57)

Prediction: Hold a fire sale but hang onto outfielder Taylor Ward

Los Angeles dropped the ball at last year's trade deadline, keeping now-Dodger Shohei Ohtani and decimating its farm system to make a playoff push that was ultimately unsuccessful. The Angels now must focus on building for the future at the deadline and stock up on as many prospects as possible. Although the team likely won't net a highly rated prospect, Los Angeles has a handful of trade candidates who should net it a decent return.

In all likelihood, the Angels will move on from left-hander Tyler Anderson ( 2.91 ERA ) and right-hander Carlos Estevez ( 2.38 ERA ). Luis Rengifo's market should be robust as well after the switch-hitting infielder hit .309 with six homers and 27 RBI over his first 71 games this season.

Ward, who's slashing just .229/.313/.394 with 14 homers and 45 RBI, is another name that outfield-needy contenders will inquire about. Nonetheless, it'd be wise for Los Angeles to keep Ward in hopes that he might have a second-half surge that could resurrect his dwindling trade value.

Oakland Athletics (41-63)

Prediction: Trade DH Brent Rooker to the Atlanta Braves and cut ties with multiple relievers

Unsurprisingly, Oakland — which has much more to offer than the Angels — will be another big-time seller.

Rooker would arguably be the top hitter on the trade market if the A's made him available. He's still under team control through 2027 , but Rooker is already 29 and considering Oakland is far from being a playoff contender, it could be best to capitalize on his value.

In 89 games this season, Rooker is slashing .290/.369/.574 with 23 home runs and 69 RBI. He'd be a welcome addition to seemingly any contender in need of a premier bat, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Braves won the Rooker sweepstakes.

Atlanta has managed to stay afloat despite injuries to multiple stars and lackluster production from 1B Matt Olson. Rivals are picking up steam in the National League wild-card race, so acquiring Rooker would be an ideal move for the Braves to remain in playoff contention.

Rooker shouldn't be the only Athletic heading elsewhere, as several members of Oakland's bullpen are drawing considerable interest. All-Star closer Mason Miller (2.21 ERA) is the crown jewel of the bunch, but he won’t be traded after suffering a fractured hand.

Even so, expect the A's to part with a few of their bullpen arms, namely the hard-throwing Lucas Erceg (3.89 ERA) and lefty T.J. McFarland (4.35 ERA).

Seattle Mariners (53-51)

Prediction: Acquire Reds second baseman Jonathan India

The Mariners are one of the teams feeling the most pressure entering the trade deadline, as they built a 10-game lead in the division on June 18, only to blow it in 24 games. Per the Elias Sports Bureau , that's the fastest a team has blown a double-digit divisional lead since the 1995 Angels.

Even though Seattle's pitching staff is capable of making a deep postseason run, its dreadful offense could prevent the team from making the playoffs entirely. Among all 30 MLB teams, the Mariners rank last in batting average ( .216 ) and 28th in on-base percentage (.298), slugging (.362), OPS (.660) and runs (390).

Seattle will likely need to make several moves to strengthen its lineup, but it can start by adding India, a player the team has interest in, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi .

India, the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year, is amid a promising bounce-back season. In 94 games, India is slashing .271/.374/.415 with eight homers and 40 RBI and has a .789 OPS and 130 wRC+, the third highest among second basemen who have at least 120 plate appearances.

Texas Rangers (50-52)

Prediction: Trade RHPs Kirby Yates and David Robertson

Having only a 17.1% chance of reaching the postseason, according to Baseball Reference, the reigning World Series champions probably won't be defending their title. Texas expects RHPs Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle to return at some point in the second half, but the team will likely be forced to trade some of its expendable pieces and gear up for 2025.

We've already predicted Texas will send starter Nathan Eovaldi to Minnesota, but that shouldn't be GM Chris Young's only notable move. Given that relief pitchers' performances often fluctuate from year to year, it'd be wise for Texas to sell high on Yates and Robertson.

Yates, 37, is one of the top relievers in baseball this season, posting a 1.22 ERA and 0.892 WHIP, which helped him earn his second career All-Star selection. Meanwhile, Robertson, who's no stranger to getting traded at the deadline, has a 3.16 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 40 games.

It's unclear how the relief pitching market will shape up, especially since Miller is injured, so it's possible Texas could net a substantial haul for Yates and Robertson.