The Houston Astros made their first main splash of the offseason in late November once they signed first baseman Josè Abreu to a three-year deal, and by all indications, crew proprietor Jim Crane and the group’s entrance workplace is not accomplished wheeling and dealing simply but.
It has been a little bit of a disappointing December for the membership after the Abreu signing. Former ace Justin Verlander left Houston for the New York Mets on a two-year, $86 million deal on Monday, and on Wednesday, free-agent goal and All-Star catcher Willson Contreras eschewed the Astros for a cope with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Now, after a pair of setbacks, anticipate the Astros to stay fairly lively all through the offseason as they appear to reinforce a championship roster.
We touched on quite a lot of free-agent targets for the Astros in latest weeks, however maybe there may be worth to be discovered on the commerce market as effectively. Let’s check out a number of of the highest commerce choices for Houston within the coming months, beginning with a backstop from a division rival.
Sean Murphy
Acquiring Murphy would doubtless take important prospect worth, and it is not exhausting to see why. Murphy is simply 28, underneath crew management for 3 extra seasons and he posted 3.5 wins above substitute final season, as he paired spectacular protection behind the plate with 18 residence runs. But as Oakland finds itself years away from even contemplating competition within the AL West, maybe the A’s will look to ship Murphy because it offers extra at-bats to highly-touted prospect Shea Langeliers. The Astros will doubtless face a major marketplace for Murphy, although per latest experiences, it appears as if Houston is firmly within the combine. After lacking out on Conteras, Murphy could also be a worthwhile pivot.
Amed Rosario #1 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates scoring the successful run on a walk-off two-run single by Oscar Gonzalez to defeat the New York Yankees 6-5 in Sport 3 of the American League Division Sequence at Progressive Area on October 15, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Diamond Photos/Diamond Photos/Getty PhotosAmed Rosario
Rosario could also be a little bit of a curious addition to this record provided that he logged 140 video games at shortstop final season, but there’s extra versatility with Rosario than first meets the attention. He has almost 25 video games of outfield expertise from his time in Cleveland, and whereas he is not a top-flight defensive outfielder, he ought to be capable of deal with the function in a possible platoon with World Sequence hero Chas McCormick. Rosario’s bat is the actual level of intrigue right here. He completed 2022 with a career-best 106 OPS+, as he paired 11 residence runs and 26 doubles with an AL-best 9 triples and 18 stolen bases.
Rosario is simply 27, and he appears to have stabilized his bat after some ugly strikeout charges early in his profession. As Andres Gimenez appears to be the shortstop of the longer term in Cleveland, maybe Houston may land Rosario as a flexible piece for 2023.
Ian Happ
Chicago flirted with offers involving Happ ultimately yr’s commerce deadline, and with free company looming subsequent winter, maybe the Cubs will re-engage on talks involving the 28-year-old outfielder. Happ enters 2023 following a profession yr on the plate, an All-Star marketing campaign wherein he smacked 42 doubles and 17 residence runs. Happ has lengthy been a tantalizing participant with famous damage issues, although maybe these days are behind him after he appeared in at the least 148 video games in every of the final two seasons. He could be a match within the backside third of Houston’s lineup, including a switch-hit bat with some notable pop. A yr within the pleasant confines of Minute Maid Park may very well be the right place to money in earlier than free company.
Danny Jansen #9 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a one RBI single within the seventh inning through the Wild Card Sequence recreation between the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Saturday, October 8, 2022 in Toronto, Canada.
Thomas Skrlj/MLB Pictures through Getty PhotosDanny Jansen
Like Oakland, Toronto has a glut of catchers on its palms with Jansen joined by highly-touted prospects in Gabriel Moreno and Alejandro Kirk. And whereas Jansen is not fairly the whole catcher Murphy is, he may very well be the correct possibility for a platoon function alongside Martín Maldonado. Jansen tallied 25 extra-base hits in simply 72 video games, and of catchers to log at the least 200 plate appearances, no person posted a greater OPS+ than Jansen’s 141 mark. Houston went for a giant fish on the catching market because it pursued Contreras. If the Astros are looking for one other influence bat, maybe Jansen is value a glance.
Alek Thomas
Thomas is a former top-100 prospect with some intrigue, one who will flip simply 23 in 2023. He brings pace and athleticism to middle discipline, and he has extra pop in his left-handed bat than his slender body suggests. Arizona seems to be dangling its outfield items on account of a surplus on the place, with both Thomas or Jake McCarthy because the most certainly choices to be dealt. Thomas has but to carry out on the major-league degree simply but after posting a paltry .619 OPS in 2022. However as Houston searches for a middle fielder of the longer term, snagging Thomas beneath his earlier worth may very well be a prudent play.
