As the MLB trade deadline looms closer, the Minnesota Twins have taken the role of sellers as they have already shipped off Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak to the division rival Detroit Tigers. Amidst the other rumors, one of the more prominent trade targets for teams is utility player Willi Castro.
Castro has been linked to numerous contending teams across the major league landscape, including the Houston Astros.
According to a Chandler Rome report on July 27th, Castro's name was listed among the players the Astros have been vying to trade for, along with Arizona's Eugenio Suarez and Tampa's Brandon Lowe. This comes as Houston has been dealing with a plethora of injuries to their starting lineup, including more recently Issac Paredes' injury that he sustained on July 19th versus Seattle.
He noted that while Castro is not as big of a name compared to Suarez, who has smashed 36 home runs this season, he fits the roster much better due to his versatility with positions, given the Astros' intense injury situation.
With Castro assumingly being a rental this year as his contract is set to expire after the 2025 season concludes, if they trade Castro to the Astros, they will likely have to deal with some prospects rather than immediate major leaguers. It should be noted that while Houston has seemingly had a bottom-ranked farm for the past few years, their ability to find and develop players has brought enormous dividends and kept them in contention longer than many have expected them to last.
Who are some prospects the Twins should look at acquiring from the Astros if a Castro trade does unfold?
Miguel Ullola (RHP, #4 Astros Prospect)
With the Astros having an abundance of starting pitching, it's fair to take a look at one of their better pitching prospects that could ultimately be dealt at this deadline. Miguel Ullola is ranked as the best pitching prospect in Houston's farm system. It's not hard to see why: his strikeout stuff is pure filthy.
Originally an international signing from the Dominican Republic in 2021, Ullola has been one prospect fans have been observing since he joined the Astros system. He offers an elite fastball and decent slider. This season in Triple-A with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (in the very hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League), he possesses an ERA of 3.56 in 73.1 innings pitched. While he has a bit of a problem with walks and hits, having a WHIP of 1.45, his Strikeouts/per nine is at a staggering 11.8, considerably elite numbers!
While the Astros likely wouldn't move him for just Castro, there is just a small sliver that it COULD happen. Houston is arguably quite desperate for major league-caliber players that could play multiple positions, and there is some potential reliever risk with Ullola as well. However, there is a lot to like about this potential prospect.
Shay Whitcomb (SS/3B/2B)
Shay Whitcomb is an interesting prospect to follow. Drafted out of UC San Diego in 2020, he's been a big bat in the Astros' farm system. In 2023, he tied for the overall MiLB Home Run lead with 35 home runs! In his last two seasons with Sugar Land, he's been one of their best hitters, consistently batting with an OPS in the .900s, has continued producing home runs and even has some notable speed on the basepaths, as he notched 26 stolen bases last season.
His minor league stats are quite impressive! However, there should be some noted concerns with Whitcomb as a potential major leaguer. For starters, he's more than likely going to primarily be a designated hitter. His defense isn't necessarily the best, and that was shown in both minor league play and his short stints with the Astros in 2024 and 2025.
Secondly, he really hasn't shown a whole lot in the majors when he has been given some opportunities. In 38 games across two seasons, he's batting .174/.230/.261 with an OPS of .491. So there's still a lot to be desired with Whitcomb. Again, it could be that he might be a benefactor of playing in the PCL, but I digress.
Whitcomb would be an interesting prospect to potentially pick up solely because of his hitting ability. If he is able to somewhat hit like he is with the Space Cowboys, he could very well be a strong power hitter for the Twins for years to come, especially since he's technically still considered a rookie and won't be a free agent until 2031. Plus, he's far more likely to be a player the Astros would ship out in any potential trade, regardless.
Ethan Pecko (RHP, #10 Astros Prospect)
Coming out of Towson as a sixth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Ethan Pecko quickly rose through Houston's farm. In his first full-professional season in 2024, he found himself as the Astros Minor League Pitcher of the Year as he rose from Single-A all the way to Double-A Corpus Christi. During that season, he had an ERA of 3.47 in 96 innings pitched, including 125 strikeouts while possessing a WHIP of 1.20.
After the Astros enhanced his delivery once he joined the organization, his fastball has become even more lethal and is by far his best-rated pitch. Compared to his other pitches, however, he hasn't really found another solid knockout pitch like his fastball, but that's more of a work in progress.
He's a far more realistic pitching prospect the Twins could look to snag if they're unable to acquire Ullola. While he might have some injury concerns too, his potential to develop into a starter is absolutely right there, especially given his age. Twins fans would just have to give some patience as he develops.
Caden Powell (SS/3B, #19 Astros Prospect)
An absolutely dominant force at Seminole State, a junior college in Oklahoma, he was originally an Oklahoma State transfer before the Astros snagged him with the 193rd pick in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, going over-slot for him. There was a good reason for that!
He was the JUCO National Player of the Year as a Sophomore, where he produced 32 home runs and 104 RBI while batting with a slugging of 1.088 and an OPS of 1.649, all of which were NJCAA bests. Powell has arguably some of the best raw power in the organization. His potential hit tool is a lot to admire and brings his own set of versatility as he juggles between multiple infield positions.
However, he has a LOT of work to do before he develops into a quality major leaguer. He's an about average defender and brings some minor arm strength. There is a far more pressing concern with his batting. He swings and misses in the zone quite often, as noted by his strikeout rate sitting currently at 30.5%, and has sat in the 30s since he joined the organization in 2024.
He hasn't really been able to unlock the same power-hitting ability he previously had when previously playing at Seminole State. However, Powell has still been pretty decent this year, batting a .253/.343/.418 with an OPS of .760. Not necessarily bad stats, of course, given that he is just 21 years old too.
Caden Powell would be an absolute snag of a player the Twins could acquire in a potential trade with Houston. It might even help that the Astros drafted Xavier Neyens, a very similar player who offers nearly identical strengths at the same positions. Powell very well could be on the trading block.
The MLB Trade Deadline is set to conclude this Thursday on July 31st, 2025 at 6 p.m. EST/5 p.m. CST.