Click on acquisitions of Mancini, Vasquez: 'These are two guys we think can help us get there'

With a day to go until the Major League Baseball (MLB) trade deadline, the Houston Astros made three big swaps on Monday. 

According to the team, it acquired first baseman/designated hitter (DH) Trey Mancini from the Baltimore Orioles, catcher Christian Vázquez from the Boston Red Sox and reliever Will Smith from the Atlanta Braves.

Astros general manager (GM) James Click said in a report on the team’s website that a return trip to the World Series was a factor in the trades for Mancini and Vázquez.

“Our focus is to try to put [ourselves] in the best position that we can to compete for a World Series [title] this year,” Click said. “These are two guys we think can help us get there.”

The Astros have competed in the Fall Classic three times during the last half-decade dating back to their controversial win in 2017.

They’re nearly a year removed from falling to the Braves for the MLB crown.

The report said that the Astros nabbed Mancini through a three-team trade with Baltimore and the Tampa Bay Rays.

To get the 30-year-old Mancini, Houston shipped outfielder Jose Siri to the Rays and minor league hurler Chayce McDermott to the Orioles.

“I love you, Baltimore,” the infielder, who’s a cancer survivor, said in a tweet. “And to Houston – I’m beyond excited to be an Astro!”

Mancini, who currently has 10 home runs (HR) on the season, is expected to boost the figure at Minute Maid Park, which has a 315-foot distance between home plate and the Crawford Boxes in left field.

The Astros’ website said that the team gave the Red Sox two prospects in exchange for Vázquez, who switched dugouts just before his new and old squads faced off on Monday night.

Boston edged out Houston 3-2.

Citing ESPN, Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that the 31-year-old brings depth behind starting catcher Martin Maldonado.

The trade to Houston ended the distinction of Vázquez being the Red Sox’s longest tenured player, ESPN reported.

The sports news and entertainment giant reported that the Astros swapped starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi with the Braves for Smith, who helped the reigning World Series champions stymie Houston’s bats last October.  

A southpaw, the 33-year-old Smith joins MLB’s top bullpen in terms of earned run average (ERA).

Houston posted a 2.77 bullpen ERA as of Tuesday, which is the last day for teams to conduct trades.