The Houston Astros might have lost Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, but they still have a top-notch offense. Yordan Alvarez hasn’t gone anywhere, and the same can be said about Jose Altuve, Yeiner Díaz, Jeremy Pena, and Chas McCormick. On top of that core, the team added Christian Walker to play first base via free agency and also netted Isaac Paredes to man the hot corner in the Tucker trade. But they still might not be done making moves.
Astros searching the market for a lefty hitter
Alvarez is still their only real, consistent, and elite lefty threat. As relayed by Leo Morgenstern of MLB Trade Rumors, the Astros aren’t done adding and could be targeting another lefty hitter, preferably in the outfield:
“With all that in mind, general manager Dana Brown told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) that he’s not finished adding to the roster. For one thing, he could still go after a left-handed hitting outfielder. Presumably, it won’t be one of the top remaining free agent bats, like the switch-hitting Anthony Santander or Jurickson Profar. Brown has downplayed the suggestion that he’s working under any strict payroll constraints. However, Chandler Rome recently said on the Foul Territory podcast, ‘From what I’m hearing, I don’t expect any more significant big-dollar additions.'”
The Astros roster could still use a couple of additions
The Astros, insiders speculate, would love to get under the first luxury tax threshold and they can’t get one of the top outfield targets without exceeding that number.
That leaves them with free-agent options in the mid-tier, such as Jesse Winker, Alex Verdugo, David Peralta, and Jason Heyward. The bullpen is another area in which the Astros could add talent.
“They have yet to make any moves to address the losses of Caleb Ferguson, Héctor Neris, and Seth Martinez. On top of that, all of those losses would pale in comparison to the potential loss of (Ryan) Pressly,” Leo Morgenstern wrote.
The Astros could potentially trade Pressly and his hefty salary if they find a taker, and that could help fund their quest for an outfielder and another arm for the bullpen. In any case, it doesn’t look like the Astros are done adding to their roster.
