The Launch Angle

Entering the offseason, the Astros had a couple of apparent roster positions to address. Primarily, the pitching staff, especially with Framber Valdez entering free agency and highly unlikely to return. It is one thing to lose someone like Valdez when you have other arms waiting in the wings, not unlike his own situation following Gerrit Cole‘s departure following the 2019 season. But the internal depth that once buoyed this organization in past years has noticeably dried up. That’s not to say that there aren’t internal options, but the limitations are more glaring.

In response, Dana Brown has been active in addressing the pitching staff, namely the starting rotation. You can never have enough pitching, as last year’s team can attest. But there are seemingly more names than roles readily available, so you can see where adding another pitcher isn’t high on the priority list, other than if a clear upgrade is possibly attainable. If there is a desire to add another pitcher, it is likely on the back burner for now.

Although the most pressing need for the Astros this season has been largely addressed, there are still areas of the roster that will require additional attention.

Infield Logjam

Perhaps the most immediate concern now is how to handle the current infield logjam, centered around playing time for Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes. With Carlos Correa now entrenched at third base, there is realistically only one position for Paredes to play on the field: first base, which is Walker’s position. There is also designated hitter, but Yordan Alvarez is the primary option there as long as he is healthy.

Sooner or later, the logjam will get resolved. I mean, there really isn’t another option at this point. Paredes at second base doesn’t seem like a realistic option, even if they give him some reps in camp. And it seems like Altuve will be the starter at second base moving forward, with only spot appearances in left field. I guess there is the possibility of structuring playing time to the point that everyone gets an adequate number of at-bats, although I don’t think that kind of situation is tenable across a full season. I highly doubt someone like Paredes, who still has one more year of arbitration left next offseason, would be fond of the idea of possibly less playing time that could impact future earning power. And Walker, who appeared in 154 games last season, doesn’t strike me as being willing to sacrifice noticeable playing time.

Of course, the counterpoint is this: the odds of Altuve, Alvarez, Correa, Paredes, and Walker being healthy all season long are unlikely. That is a fair point, too. But it is also a hypothetical one at this point until an injury actually occurs. Relying upon injuries happening to force a square peg into a round hole in terms of roster construction isn’t the best allocation of resources. For as much as I would dislike trading Paredes, if any potential trade pacakge makes the roster more balanced, it is something to truly consider. Or, even if you have absorb two-thirds of Walker’s remaining money, that is another possibility to be able to move Paredes to first base fullt-time and keep him in the lineup for most games.

Outfield

With Jacob Melton now in Tampa, the center field situation is a bit clearer than it was entering the offseason, although plenty of questions remain for the corner outfield positions. Jake Meyers, barring a trade, will be the primary center fielder to start the season. Cam Smith and Zach Cole will be in the mix for a role. As long as Jesús Sánchez remains an Astro, he likely figures into the equation in some fashion. For a team that needs a left-handed bat and can play left field, you could do far worse than Sánchez. But it’ll be interesting to see if they move him in the coming weeks as he does seem to have a somewhat robust trade market.

The outfield configuration other than Meyers, Smith, and Cole might remain in flux until something occurs with the infield logjam. Paredes in conjunction with other players might be enough to acquire someone like Wilyer Abreu, who was one of the prospects that James Click traded to the Red Sox for Christian Vázquez in 2022. Also, any trade of Paredes or Walker could possibly free up some money for another move either in a separate trade or free agent signing. Ultimately, I hope the organization doesn’t roll into the season banking entirely on Smith and Cole to shore up the outfield, but I don’t think they will.

Backup Catcher

With Victor Caratini now a Twin, César Salazar is in line to be the Astros’ backup catcher for 2026. Former first round pick, Walker Janek, will eventually enter the catching conversation one of these days, although that feels more appropriate for 2027 and beyond. But, for this year’s purposes, Salazar, who is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster at the moment besides Yainer Díaz, is the next guy up.

Incidentally, the Astros are reportedly interested in bringing back Vázquez to address their backup job opening. It will be an interesting contrast to Caratini, who is known more for his bat, compared to the glove-first Vázquez. Frankly, Houston’s catching defense wasn’t particularly impressive and a liability in various instances. Even if his defensive skills are starting to slip, the 35-year-old Vázquez would offer some improvement in that area.

Other than Vázquez, as Clack noted in December, there are other options for the backup catcher job. It’ll be interesting to see which way, or how soon, the Astros address this opening.

Photo courtesy of Pixel Pete