HOUSTON – The Astros addressed two of their needs in one major transaction on Dec. 13 when they traded three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith, who became Houston's top-ranked prospect (and the No. 73 prospect in baseball), per MLB Pipeline. The addition of Paredes, an All-Star last season who was traded from the Rays to the Cubs in July, satisfies Houston's needs on the corner infield, but that's only part of it. The Astros also needed some starting-pitching depth and will get that with Wesneski, who will be in the starting rotation after hybrid roles with the Cubs the previous three seasons. As we enter 2025 and begin looking ahead to Spring Training, the biggest question remaining for the Astros is: What can they do to improve their outfield depth? Houston has had good outfield depth in recent years, but the loss of Tucker and the team's desire to have Yordan Alvarez get more at-bats at designated hitter -- and play less left field -- underscores the need for the Astros to add an outfielder or two. The club added Christian Walker at first base with a three-year, $60 million deal, but the outfield still has a few questions. |
General manager Dana Brown said in December that Chas McCormick is currently the starter in right field and Jake Meyers is the starter in center. Brown said there's an opening in left, where utility man Mauricio Dubón could play that spot against a left-handed pitcher. Taylor Trammell, acquired from the Yankees in November, could play left field vs. right-handers, and Zach Dezenzo will be in the left-field mix, too. "We have an opening in that we would say we could platoon or [if] we get an opportunity to fill that spot, we will do it," Brown said. The best free agents available are Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernández, Jurickson Profar and Joc Pederson. Santander, who clubbed 44 homers last season for the Orioles, would be an ideal choice to replace Tucker in right field, but he's looking for a nine-figure deal. What about McCormick and Meyers? |
McCormick posted a .577 OPS in 94 games last season, hitting .211 with five home runs. Those numbers were a far cry from the .273/.353/.489 slash line he posted in '23, with 22 homers, 70 RBIs and 19 steals. "What I told McCormick is 2024, just turn the page, put that in the past," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "He's a really good player, and it's in there. I think he tried to do a little bit too much going into Spring Training and trying to put the same numbers. ... I told him, 'Hey, listen, that's in the past. Forget about it. Go home. Train and get ready for Spring Training.'" Meyers, meanwhile, had a .646 OPS in 148 games in '24 and got most of the team's starts (126) in center field. He posted a .736 OPS in the first half of the season (.924 in May) before slumping in the second half with a .526 OPS. He was a Gold Glove Award finalist in center field and led AL center fielders in fielding percentage (.997) and zone rating (.961), while ranking second in Outs Above Average (14) and Defensive Runs Saved (six). |
There could be help on the horizon from the farm. Outfielder Jacob Melton, Houston's No. 2 prospect and the No. 89 prospect in baseball, split last season between Double-A Corpus Christi (58 games) and Triple-A Sugar Land (47 games) and slashed .253/.310/.426 with 15 homers, 54 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. He spent time at all three outfield spots last season, playing mostly center field. Don't be surprised to see the Astros add another name to their outfield mix before the team hits West Palm Beach, Fla., in mid-February. |
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Three Major League players who went on to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame were born on Dec. 25 – Rickey Henderson, Nellie Fox and Pud Galvin. Fox, a 12-time All-Star for the White Sox, finished his career with the Astros in 1965 -- the year the team moved to the Astrodome and switched its name from the Colt '45s (Fox was on the Colt '45s in '64). Who were the other Astros born on Christmas Day? - Julio Gonzalez (1952): Born in Puerto Rico, Gonzalez played four seasons as a utility infielder with the Astros from 1977-80, hitting .235 with a pair of home runs.
- Ty Gainey (1960): Born in Cheraw, S.C., Gainey was taken by the Astros in the second round of the 1979 MLB Draft and appeared in 57 games in the outfield from 1985-87, hitting .216 with one homer.
- Willy Taveras (1981): Born in Tenares, Dominican Republic, Taveras was acquired by the Astros in the 2003 Rule 5 Draft. He was the starting center fielder for Houston's 2005 National League championship team, hitting .291 with 34 steals in 152 games. He played in 149 games in '06 and hit .278 with 33 steals before he was traded to the Rockies.
Most notably, Taveras set the franchise record for consecutive games with a hit (30) from July 27-Aug. 27, 2006, breaking Jeff Kent's record of 25 games set in '04. Taveras batted .349 during the streak, which included 38 singles, five doubles, one triple, and one homer.
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