Things are starting to heat up in the offseason, but the Houston Astros remain stagnant.

They are currently focused on re-signing Alex Bregman and general manager Dana Brown remains confident they can accomplish that.

However, the manager also made headlines when he said he would field some inquiries regarding the availability of his two stars, Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez, even if a trade was not imminent this winter.

Brown has already stated that the Astros need to get “creative” when it comes to making improvements, and trading one of these high-profile players would certainly fall into that category.

If Houston were to trade either its top or star outfielder, fans would have to wonder if the team would become more focused on winning championships by getting pieces back that would prepare for the future rather than 2025.

That wouldn’t be the case for Brown.

Per Chandler Rome by The athletic one, Asked if he thinks the Astros could compete for an AL West title next year if they made a trade involving Tucker or Valdez, he replied: “Yeah, I think we could.”

“I think the team is good enough for that. “It depends on what you get back in return if you choose that path, but we’re not going to do deals that don’t make sense in terms of winning the division and getting back to the postseason and so on,” added he added.

What Houston would get back in return is an important part of this discussion.

If they can improve first base and add another bullpen arm while also bringing back strong prospects, it could improve this team’s overall profile.

Still, it’s very unlikely that the Astros will trade either of these two stars, whether or not they hit free agency the following winter.

But if another team somehow comes along and offers Houston a package they can’t refuse, at least there’s confidence from the front office that this team can still win their division and make the playoffs without Tucker or Valdez.