HOUSTON -- We're one month away from pitchers and catchers taking the field in the first workout of Spring Training in West Palm Beach, Fla. It's been an interesting offseason for the Astros, who have bolstered the depth of their starting rotation, highlighted by the signing of Japanese star Tatsuya Imai last week.
While the Astros' major lifting appears to be done, there's still a chance they could make another move in the next month, or even in the coming few months while they're in Florida. Here are some questions that may be on your mind with sunny South Florida on the horizon:
Will the Astros make another trade?
It's very possible. The club still has a surplus of infielders and could move one to make the roster fit together a bit better. The Astros are continuing to field calls from other teams about their infield, which means third baseman Isaac Paredes and first baseman Christian Walker.
Paredes was acquired from the Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade in December 2024, and he was an All-Star last year before missing most of the second half of the season with a right hamstring strain. The Astros acquired Carlos Correa at the Trade Deadline to play third, and with All-Star Jeremy Peña at shortstop, there's a logjam. The Red Sox are one team to watch when it comes to Paredes, considering they lost Alex Bregman to the Cubs.
Then there's Walker, who's entering the second year of a three-year, $60 million deal after a disappointing season at the plate in '25. The Astros could trade Walker and put Paredes at first, but another team would have to pay a significant portion of Walker's salary.
And don't forget outfielder Jake Meyers, who has been on the trade block the entire winter. The Astros traded prospect Jacob Melton to the Rays because they're committed to giving rookie Zach Cole (ranked by MLB Pipeline as the club's No. 17 prospect) a shot in center field. Trading Meyers would show further commitment to Cole, though Cam Smith and Brice Matthews (No. 1) can play center.
Outfielder Jesús Sánchez continues to draw trade interest as well, but the Astros will need another lefty bat if Sánchez departs.
No comments:
Post a Comment