After final month’s Kyle Tucker commerce, the outfield is the largest query for the Astros. Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick are lined as much as begin in heart and proper subject, respectively. Meyers is a defensive stalwart with out a lot offensive upside. McCormick has been an excellent hitter previously, however he’s coming off the worst season of his profession.
Left subject is totally open. Whereas Yordan Alvarez might get a number of begins there, the Astros wish to use him largely as a chosen hitter. Former high prospect Taylor Trammell, who began one main league recreation final season, is Houston’s projected left fielder at RosterResource. Trammell is coming off a robust season in Triple-A, however he’s 27 years outdated and has a .167/.270/.368 batting line over 359 MLB plate appearances. If not Trammell, utility participant Mauricio Dubón would in all probability get nearly all of the enjoying time. Houston nonetheless expects to compete for an AL West title. They’ll want so as to add no less than one outfielder earlier than Opening Day.
Basic supervisor Dana Brown has acknowledged as a lot. Houston is in search of a left-handed hitter, particularly, probably permitting them to spell McCormick or Meyers. The Astros venture narrowly above the aggressive stability tax threshold and don’t appear more likely to make a play for Anthony Santander. In the event that they’re coping with a tighter price range, the place might they give the impression of being?
Free Company
Jurickson Profar: Profar is likely to be out of their monetary consolation zone as effectively. As of final month, the switch-hitting left fielder was in search of a deal of no less than three years. He’s one of the best non-Santander outfielder obtainable in free company. Profar has had an up-and-down profession however is coming off by far his finest season. He hit .280/.380/.459 with 24 homers behind massively improved exit velocities. He’ll flip 32 in February, however the Astros have made three-year free agent commitments to a lot older hitters (i.e. José Abreu and Christian Walker). Profar is a perfect match on paper, however the cash could possibly be a problem.
Alex Verdugo: For many of his Purple Sox tenure, Verdugo was a succesful if mercurial on a regular basis participant. He hit .281/.338/.424 throughout 4 seasons in Boston. The Sox traded him to the Yankees, who caught with him as their common left fielder amidst the worst season of his profession. Verdugo completed the yr with a .233/.291/.356 slash throughout 621 plate appearances. Virtually all of the positives got here within the first month of the season. Verdugo carried a .267/.358/.446 line into Could. He hit .225/.275/.336 over his closing 501 plate appearances. Verdugo doesn’t flip 29 till Could, so he’s a believable rebound candidate, however that’d be much less dangerous for a fringe contender than it’s for a real win-now workforce like Houston. He’s probably taking a look at a one-year pillow deal, in all probability for lower than the $10MM that Max Kepler acquired from Philadelphia.
Jesse Winker: Exterior of Profar, Winker in all probability has one of the best offensive profile of this group. He hit .258/.366/.422 with 13 homers in 404 plate appearances in opposition to righty pitching final season. He’s a profession .276/.379/.462 hitter with the platoon benefit. Winker isn’t an enormous risk in opposition to lefties, however he can hit right-handers. The large disadvantage is the defensive profile. He’s a poor defender in left subject who ought to primarily be a chosen hitter. The Astros would both must have him divide left subject work with Alvarez or play Winker there commonly in the event that they wish to maintain their famous person DH off his ft. Perhaps they really feel the Crawford Bins and restricted left subject to cowl in Houston makes that worthwhile. Winker may have the ability to get two years however shouldn’t be all that costly.
Jason Heyward: Heyward completed the 2024 season in Houston after being launched by the Dodgers. He hit 4 homers in 24 common season contests and began one in every of their Division Collection video games in opposition to the Tigers. Whereas it was a reasonably sturdy end, Heyward had hit .208/.289/.393 throughout 197 plate appearances with Los Angeles. He’s at finest a strong-side platoon possibility and is likely to be a greater match for a bench position going into his age-35 season. He’d be obtainable for one yr and a base wage of some million {dollars}.
David Peralta: Peralta has the same profile to Heyward. He’s a former above-average common who has settled right into a platoon position in his late 30s. He’s coming off a pleasant season for the Padres, hitting .267/.335/.415 throughout 260 plate appearances. The Astros would in all probability desire to deliver Heyward again in the event that they’re going this route, however Peralta had higher numbers in 2024.
Commerce Candidates
Jesús Sánchez: Exterior of Sandy Alcántara and the useless cash owed to launched outfielder Avisaíl García, Sánchez tasks because the highest-paid participant on the Marlins. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz tasks him for a $3.2MM wage in his second of 4 journeys by arbitration. That’s hardly exorbitant, however Miami has proven a willingness to maneuver just about anybody amidst their full rebuild. Sánchez is a former high prospect who has settled in as a low-end common within the large leagues. He’s coming off a .252/.313/.417 displaying with 18 homers and 16 stolen bases — his second straight league common offensive efficiency. He’s a roughly common defender in both nook. The 27-year-old could not have the upside that many prospect evaluators had hoped, however he’d be an improve over Trammell.
Mike Yastrzemski: The Giants appeared more likely to deal one in every of their arbitration-eligible gamers at first of the offseason. Yastrzemski, who agreed to a $9.25MM wage in his closing yr of membership management, appeared essentially the most logical candidate. San Francisco has been quiet since pulling off the Willy Adames deal, nevertheless, so they won’t be seeking to shed payroll to open extra free agent pursuits. Yastrzmeski is coming off a .231/.302/.437 displaying with 18 homers by 474 journeys to the plate.
Willi Castro: Castro is a switch-hitting utility participant who has greater than 800 innings of left subject expertise. He has had a stable two-year run in Minnesota, hitting .251/.334/.395 in 1044 plate appearances. Castro was a pleasant discover for the Twins’ entrance workplace, who inked him to a minor league deal after he’d been non-tendered by the Tigers. He’s in his closing winter of arbitration and projected for a $6.2MM wage. Minnesota extremely values his versatility and clubhouse presence, so that they’re in all probability not eager on shifting him. But the Twins are working with an especially tight price range and have achieved nothing in free company. Buying and selling Castro can be one strategy to open a little bit of payroll area.
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There are a number of different commerce candidates if Houston needed to take an even bigger swing. Gamers like Wilyer Abreu, Jake McCarthy and Alec Burleson could possibly be obtainable. They’d require a stronger prospect return than any of Sánchez, Yastrzmeski or Castro, nevertheless. That appears unlikely contemplating the Astros dealt Tucker as a result of they needed so as to add expertise to a really skinny farm system with out giving up on the upcoming season.
