It’s been a whirlwind offseason for the Astros. Whereas Houston isn’t rebuilding by any stretch, it’s truthful to name this one thing of a transitional winter. They’ve traded an MVP-caliber outfielder (Kyle Tucker) to the Cubs and seem prone to half methods with a cornerstone of their World Collection groups (Alex Bregman) in free company. Justin Verlander is in San Francisco. Longtime nearer Ryan Pressly adopted Tucker to Wrigleyville in a separate commerce. With these names out the door (or seemingly out the door, in Bregman’s case), the ’Stros have introduced in Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker, Hayden Wesneski and their new high prospect, Cam Smith.
Proprietor Jim Crane has maintained that the membership has the “wherewithal” to match final yr’s spending (i.e. pay the posh tax) in the appropriate state of affairs and for the appropriate participant. Presumably, with Houston leaving its six-year, $156MM supply to Bregman on the desk — even after buying Paredes and Walker and at the same time as Bregman seeks lengthier/bigger contracts elsewhere — Crane feels a Bregman reunion is such a state of affairs/participant. Nevertheless, common supervisor Dana Brown stated yesterday that he hasn’t lately talked to agent Scott Boras and used the previous tense when speaking to the Astros beat about Bregman (video through Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). A reunion doesn’t appear seemingly.
In that very same media availability, Brown continued to voice his hope to accumulate a left-handed bat — ideally within the outfield:
“We’re making an attempt to get a left-handed bat for the outfield,” stated Brown. “Many of the choices are slim to none, however we’re nonetheless working by way of it and grinding to get some left-handed at-bats in our outfield.”
Cynics will level out that Houston had among the finest left-handed hitters in all of baseball (Tucker) and traded him to the Cubs — though doing so introduced them a number of years of management over their new third baseman (Paredes), their potential fifth starter (Wesneski) and their new high prospect (Smith). Tucker wasn’t prone to signal an extension, and the ’Stros undoubtedly obtained extra long-term worth than they’d have garnered with a compensatory draft decide by merely letting Tucker attain free company. That long-term worth comes at the price of a lesser 2025 roster however may effectively show to be one of the best play in the long term.
No matter how one feels concerning the Tucker commerce, he’s gone and gained’t issue into this yr’s roster. That leaves the Astros with a closely right-handed lineup. Paredes, Walker, Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, Yainer Diaz, Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick all bat from the appropriate facet. Yordan Alvarez is the lone left-handed bat assured to be within the lineup.
On high of that common lack of lefties, the Astros additionally extra broadly lack certainty within the outfield. Meyers performs nice protection however is a .222/.290/.369 hitter over the previous two seasons. McCormick is coming off a career-worst .211/.271/.306 batting line. The opposite outfield spot, as issues stand, initiatives to be stuffed by a mixture of utilityman Mauricio Dubon and DFA pickup/former high prospect Taylor Trammell. Houston can hope {that a} mixture of Kenedy Corona, Pedro Leon, Jacob Melton, Quincy Hamilton and Cooper Hummel can issue into the outfield puzzle, however nobody from that group is near established within the majors. Leon’s inventory is down significantly from when he was Houston’s high prospect. Melton continues to be well-regarded however didn’t hit all that effectively in final yr’s Triple-A debut.
Even when somebody from that group steps up, the Astros arguably want higher outfield choices. Alvarez performed 53 video games in left discipline final yr, and supervisor Joe Espada stated this week that the membership hopes to cut back that quantity considerably in 2025, so extra time on the grass for the group’s high slugger isn’t the reply. One damage or continued offensive decline for Meyers or McCormick may result in a disastrous outfield setup.
All of it leaves the Astros in a tricky spot. They’re about $4.75MM shy of the $241MM luxurious tax threshold, per RosterResource, with an proprietor who seemingly doesn’t need to cross that line for something aside from a Bregman reunion (on the Astros’ worth moderately than Bregman’s worth). There are some free brokers who may match the invoice, however would they signal for underneath $5MM? That’s far much less clear.
Let’s run by way of some potential choices.
Free Brokers
Jason Heyward: The Astros received an honest run out of Heyward after the Dodgers reduce him unfastened. He appeared in 24 video games and hit .218/.283/.473 with 4 huge flies in simply 61 plate appearances. Heyward nonetheless performs a powerful proper discipline, however he’s coming off an total .211/.288/.412 exhibiting final yr. He and McCormick may type a platoon, however Heyward solely has 73 plate appearances versus lefties over the previous three seasons mixed. He shouldn’t face them. Given his age (35), marginal 2024 exhibiting and platoon splits, it appears believable that the Astros may signal him for one thing just like Ramon Laureano’s $4MM in Baltimore and maintain themselves underneath the tax line.
David Peralta: The 37-year-old Peralta hit .267/.335/.415 for the Padres in 2024, with about 90% of his plate appearances coming towards right-handed pitching. As with Heyward, he’s a veteran within the twilight of his profession who’d require strict platooning. That stated, Peralta has persistently hit right-handed pitching, with the 2023 season standing because the lone exception of observe in recent times. He bounced again properly in 2024 after signing minor league offers with the Cubs and Padres. A giant league take care of a sufficiently small assure to comfortably stay underneath the posh tax at the very least feels believable.
Eddie Rosario: After 4 productive years as a daily in Minnesota, Rosario has alternated between league-average offense and bottom-of-the-scale manufacturing, in every-other-year style, from 2021-24. He posted precise 100 wRC+ marks in ’21 and ’23 however hit .212/.259/.328 (63 wRC+) in 2022 and .175/.215/.316 (45 wRC+) in 2024. A minor league take care of a low base wage appears to be the seemingly consequence right here. The Astros may swing that, however there’s zero assure that the 33-year-old Rosario can bounce again from that woeful ’24 exhibiting. Over his previous 1517 MLB plate appearances, he’s hitting .231/.278/.396 (82 wRC+).
Alex Verdugo: Nonetheless simply 28 years outdated, Verdugo picked a poor time to have a career-worst season. He hit simply .233/.291/.356 because the Yankees’ common left fielder final yr, and that got here regardless of a blistering begin to the season. From mid-Could onward, Verdugo fell into an interminable hunch and ranked as one of many sport’s least efficient hitters. In Verdugo’s remaining 480 plate appearances, he posted a .221/.270/.330 slash. That’s 31% worse than league-average, by measure of wRC+. Verdugo could be very seemingly a one-year deal, however he made $8.7MM final season, so a reduce to lower than $5MM might be a tough promote. Plus, most groups with curiosity in Verdugo are seemingly keen to incorporate incentives to spice up no matter base wage he accepts. For the Astros, such an association may push them north of the tax line once more.
Believable Commerce Choices
To be clear, this isn’t an exhaustive record of each left-handed bat the Astros may pursue — neither is it essentially a set of high-impact, cost-effective prospects. Certain, the Astros would most likely like to pry Heston Kjerstad away from the Orioles, however in need of providing up a compelling top-of-the-rotation arm like Framber Valdez — which doesn’t in any respect look like one thing Houston is contemplating/has thought of — a prospect of that caliber isn’t prone to be accessible. A few of these names have, and certainly will once more, already come up in commerce talks, however broadly talking this can be a speculative record of potential suits who’d test some containers for Houston.
James Outman, Dodgers: Outman was one of many Dodgers’ top-ranked prospects a couple of years again however hasn’t been in a position to overcome his penchant for strikeouts. The outfield in L.A. not has room for him. Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman and Michael Conforto look prone to begin there, and even when Edman shifts to the infield, Andy Pages has leapfrogged Outman on the depth chart.
Outman posted a depressing .147/.256/.265 slash in 156 plate appearances with the Dodgers final season however slashed .248/.353/.437 in 567 turns on the plate the yr prior. He hit .279/.390/.543 in Triple-A final yr. Outman has a minor league possibility remaining, so the Dodgers don’t must be in any rush to commerce him. He’s good depth to have readily available. However he’s additionally 27 happening 28 (in Could), not within the group’s rapid plans, and has fast-rising prospects Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope climbing the minor league ranks behind him.
Jesus Sanchez, Marlins: After a short run of making an attempt to compete, the Marlins are again to teardown mode — maybe much more so than at any level in current historical past. They traded 10 huge leaguers final yr between Opening Day and the deadline, they usually’ve shipped out Jesus Luzardo this offseason as effectively.
Sanchez, incomes $4.5MM this yr, is one among two gamers on Miami’s energetic roster incomes greater than $2MM. (Ace and certain summer time commerce chip Sandy Alcantara, at $17MM, is the opposite.) Since he’d successfully be changing a league-minimum participant, he’d be a internet $3.75MM add to the group’s luxurious invoice, permitting Houston to remain underneath the tax line. Sanchez has subpar plate self-discipline and may’t hit lefties. He additionally has huge uncooked energy and elite batted-ball metrics. He’s solely a mean runner however nonetheless swiped 16 baggage in 18 tries this previous season. Since 2023, the 27-year-old is hitting .252/.319/.431 with 32 homers in 931 plate appearances. He’s a stable, if unremarkable proper discipline defender and is underneath membership management by way of 2027. With the Marlins in a rebuild, Sanchez may very well be had for prospects.
LaMonte Wade Jr., Giants: Wade might be a stretch as a daily outfielder. He ranks among the many sport’s slowest runners, sitting with seventh percentile dash pace, per Statcast, and the Giants haven’t performed him on the grass even semi-regularly since 2021-22. The Astros have a grounder-heavy rotation, although, and the brief left discipline porch on the newly renamed Daikin Park inherently reduces the quantity of floor Houston left fielders must cowl (particularly relative to Oracle Park in San Francisco).
Wade excels in two key areas, nevertheless. He hits right-handed pitching and, extra broadly, he will get on base. Wade has walked in practically 13% of his profession plate appearances. That features a 14% clip throughout the previous three seasons and a large 15.5% mark in 2024. He’s a lifetime .251/.359/.431 hitter towards righties. Wade is incomes $5MM in 2025, his final yr earlier than free company. The Astros can most likely shoehorn him into the payroll and narrowly duck underneath the tax line. He’s lined as much as be the Giants’ major first baseman in 2025, however the Giants have listened on Wade this winter and there are first base options nonetheless available on the market that San Francisco may pursue in the event that they obtain a suggestion to their liking for Wade.
Jack Suwinski, Pirates: Just like Outman, Suwinski is a strikeout-prone lefty who had an encouraging 2023 exhibiting (26 homers, .224/.339/.454, 112 wRC+) earlier than tanking in 2024. The Bucs opened 2024 with Suwinski locked into their outfield however optioned him a number of occasions amid a disastrous .182/.264/.324 efficiency on the plate. A part of Suwinski’s struggles have been BABIP associated, as he hit simply .225 on balls in play, however poor luck doesn’t inform the entire story. He noticed notable drops in his glorious batted-ball metrics from ’23 and noticed his ground-ball charge skyrocket from 27.9% to 46.4%. Even with above-average pace, that’s a foul pattern for a pull-heavy lefty.
The Bucs nonetheless have one unsettled outfield spot, and Suwinski can be within the combine barring a late acquisition. Strikeouts are a problem, however Suwinski walks loads (profession 12.1%), runs effectively and is a satisfactory, albeit barely below-average left fielder. He hasn’t reached arbitration but, so wage isn’t a problem.
Jake Fraley, Reds: There’s no urgency for the Reds to maneuver Fraley, however he’s a reasonably priced ($3.125MM) lefty who’s managed by way of 2026 and will feasibly internet Cincinnati a bullpen possibility in a commerce. Fraley is a profession .264/.346/.440 hitter towards righties. He runs and throws effectively however nonetheless attracts solely common (or barely beneath) grades for his glovework in proper discipline. The Reds lately added Austin Hays on a one-year deal. They now have Hays, TJ Friedl, Gavin Lux, Spencer Steer and Stuart Fairchild as huge league outfield choices, with Rece Hinds, Blake Dunn and Will Benson on the 40-man roster and certain Triple-A sure. They might afford to maneuver Fraley for some aid assist.
Andrew Benintendi, White Sox: Possibly we’ve reached the purpose of silliness right here. Benintendi is owed $47.5MM over the following three seasons and hasn’t panned out in any respect since signing a five-year take care of the South Siders. That stated, he quietly batted .251/.326/.470 (124 wRC+) with 16 homers over his remaining 322 plate appearances. Would the White Sox eat a (important) portion of the contract to maneuver on? Would they take again an underwater contract like Rafael Montero (nonetheless with the group after being outrighted, nonetheless owed $11.5MM) or erstwhile high starter Lance McCullers Jr. ($34MM by way of 2026)? Calling Benintendi any kind of an answer is an excessive stretch, however he completed properly in 2024, continues to be solely 30 and was a high quality all-around performer as lately as 2022.
Longer Pictures
There are ample names to think about across the league, however many would require the Astros to half with expertise from their present huge league roster. The D-backs have obtained curiosity in Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas this winter — seemingly some from the Astros — however each will play huge league roles, with McCarthy particularly trying like a starter for a win-now Arizona membership. The Cardinals don’t have an important spot for Alec Burleson aside from DH but in addition don’t have any purpose to think about shifting him until they’re getting significant prospects in return. Atlanta’s signing of Jurickson Profar leaves Jarred Kelenic with out an on a regular basis position as soon as Ronald Acuña Jr. returns, however the Braves are most likely reluctant to maneuver on after engineering a convoluted sequence of salary-driven trades to accumulate/buy Kelenic final offseason.
There are numerous eventualities to attract up, however the backside line is that Houston faces an uphill battle in including a reputable left-handed bat to its outfield group if Crane stays intent on staying underneath the tax threshold for anybody aside from Bregman.
