We’ll see what the next 2-3 weeks holds, but an underrated aspect of Houston’s offseason so far is that they have addressed their biggest needs without trading away any SP who project to contribute in 2026. They gave up Brito who is a really good prospect, but he was not likely to be up until 2027. Not having to ship out any of that high ceiling group of big league ready young SP (Arrighetti, Blubaugh, Ullola, Pecko) really gives them options to backfill injuries to their pitching staff without much degradation and gives them ammo for adding at the deadline without damaging the deep lower levels of their farm or dipping into the shallow position player depth in the upper levels.
Hopefully one of the most meaningful moves of the offseason is the hiring of the new hitting coaches.
AAA Pitchers added so far this offseason: Peter Lambert Anthony Maldonado Trey McLoughlin Christian Roa Amos Willingham Not sure how that compares with prior years but seems like a lot.
Give me Burrows potential. 2nd best changeup in the AL if not all of MLB. No telling how good he can be when Miller gets ahold of him. Health will be the key, the talent is there to be as good as if not better than Cabrera.
Probably but not certain. If Sanchez hits like he has over his career, he is a fine 3rd lefty in a lineup against RHP. The wild card is Cole; if he hits to his full ceiling he will be a star player and eliminate the need for another bat. Smith and Diaz could also help reduce or eliminate the need for a bat of any kind. The upside of this lineup is that they have a full 10 hitters who have potential to clear an 800 ops (Alvarez/Paredes/Correa/Altuve being pretty likely, Pena/Walker/Sanchez/Diaz/Cole/Smith being more risky). And while it would surprise me, it would not shock me if Matthews or Dezenzo hit really well in 2026.
Nah. For the right player he has indicated to the front office he would consider going deeper into the tax. Before their last signing they knew they likely were going into the tax. As far as the deadline goes, I guess it depends on what you expect. No, I don’t think they will add a superstar but they definitely have the trade capital and means to add a good starting outfielder either on an ending contract or short term deal. I am not sure what you or others are expecting though. I don’t foresee any superstars being signed anytime soon…. But it was only last deadline that they added Correa.
Exactly - some serious wildcards and only 1-2 have to click. Would it really shock anyone if Smith was a 4 WAR play with an 800 OPS? That is what he was at the break last year before a bad second half.
I agree; based on the active roster depth, I don’t see any need for more bats or arms on the active roster. If they want to cut Salazar for someone better, ok, but I think it would be in their best interest to let the rest ride. They have time to test the active roster construction. They aren’t going to sign another else that pushes us past the CBT unless an injury happens (e.g. Hader signing 2 years ago).
Let me hear your predictions…if you had to give a percentage on how likely it is that both Paredes and Walker will be on the Astros opening day roster, what would it be?
These types of pick ups excite me more than they usually would just because during Dana Brown’s tenure here- they’ve done an excellent job finding a way to squeeze quality innings and high leverage from guys they grabbed off the scrap heap. (Tayler Scott in 24’, Bryan King, Bennett Souza, Jason Alexander)
70%. I think there’s about a 30% chance of them either dumping Walker to clear payroll to add an OF they like or having a team bowl them over with an offer for Paredes. But most likely they are going to carry both guys into the season. Paredes can effectively serve as the primary backup for every position except maybe 2B. He can play 1B, 3B, DH. When Pena needs a day off, Correa can play SS and Paredes can play 3B. When one of the OF needs a rest, he can DH and Alvarez can play LF, since all 3 projected starting OF (Cole, Meyers, Sanchez) can play CF. I know there’s disagreement, but I think Paredes would be fine starting 30-40 games at 2B, especially with Allen available to replace him late in games for defense. So while they may have trouble fielding their “ideal” lineup every day, they won’t have any trouble finding “everyday” playing time for Paredes, even if there aren’t any injuries.
I don't expect Paredes or Walker to be traded but if they are traded it will most likely happen after Bregman, Bellinger, and Bichette sign.
Dezenzo’s bat speed is as good as Cam Smith and Carlos Correa. He is not quite as athletic as Smith but he is a very good athlete and his upside is huge. Yordan is the only hitter Houston has who has clearly superior raw hitting tools to Dezenzo.
