Justin Verlander is gone and Josè Abreu is now in the space occupied by fellow Cuban first baseman Yuli Gurriel, but by and large, the central pieces of Houston’s 2022 title team are locked in for much of this decade. Regular season MVP finalist Yordan Alvarez and World Series MVP Jeremy Peña are both signed through 2027. Rotation anchors Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier are signed through 2025, and both are prime extension candidates. Kyle Tucker may very well hold out for free agency, although that is still three years away. Even a pair of vets have at least multiple seasons left in Houston, with both Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman signed through 2024. The future of the franchise remains quite healthy as the Astros look to extend their dynastic run.
Yet even as the Astros enter 2023 as the rightful World Series favorite, owner Jim Crane and the team’s newfound brain trust don’t seem to be done quite yet. So what exactly is still on Houston’s checklist as the calendar turns to 2023? Let’s detail the top to-do items.
Add one more outfielder
The Astros’ lineup is the deepest in the American League following the Abreu and Michael Brantley signings. Their defense is more of a question mark. None of Abreu, Altuve or Alvarez are plus defenders, and it’s a mystery just how much Brantley will play in the outfield. Centerfielder Chas McCormick is a solid defender in center, but given his offensive limitations, he serves as a likely platoon mate alongside another (ideally left-handed) bat. Given the current options, perusing the outfield market is a prudent path.
There’s a dearth of free-agent options for Houston after the recent spending spree league-wide dried up the player pool. Cody Bellinger is in Chicago. Kevin Kiermaier is in Toronto. Jurickson Profar is more of a corner player than a legitimate centerfield option. One name to keep an eye on? Michael Conforto. The former New York Mets outfielder has centerfield experience and a career .824 OPS. If his injury history truly hinders his market, perhaps he’ll fall within Houston’s spending limits.
The trade market may be a more reasonable route to adding an outfielder, primarily a centerfielder. Don’t expect Bryan Reynolds in another gift from Pittsburgh—the Gerrit Cole trade remains an relative fleecing—although another NL club could be a match. With Arizona dangling a trio of outfielders, the Astros may have a natural trade partner. Using rotation depth and prospects to acquire Daulton Varsho is a particularly enticing idea.
General manager update?
Houston’s roster for Opening Day in 2023 may be largely set, although there is one major outstanding hole in the organization: a lead decision maker in the baseball-operations department.
The current state of the Astros’ front office has been well documented. James Click stepped in for dismissed general manager Jeff Luhnow prior to the 2020 season, then shaped a trio of rosters that went 230-154 across three seasons. Houston reached the 2021 World Series and won the 2022 Fall Classic. Click’s reward for the success? A contract extension offer of exactly one year, one that was summarily rejected by Click before he subsequently departed the organization.
We may never know the exact reason for Crane’s low-balling of Click, and frankly it’s not as though Houston’s newfound brain trust damaged the state of the franchise in recent weeks. Crane (likely wisely) eschewed a major commitment for Justin Verlander, and the additions of Abreu and Brantley were cheap, sensible additions given the wild state of the free-agent market. Yet it’s hard to put total faith in Crane as a baseball-operations lead after one non-tumultuous offseason. An owner running the show rarely works out well (see Jones, Jerry) and despite Crane’s business acumen, it’s not as though he has any formal baseball-ops training or experience.
Houston could very well continue with its current organizational structure en route to the 2023 Fall Classic. Although for the health of the franchise throughout the next decade, finding a qualified leader of baseball operations before Spring Training should be of top priority.
Explore the catching market
I’d argue the Astros were perhaps lucky not to land Willson Contreras on a big-money deal given his defensive profile and the team’s reported plan to use him as an outfielder and designated hitter as well as a catcher. Yet without Contreras and following the departure of Christian Vázquez, there is a bit of a hole at catcher. This isn’t to disrespect defensive ace and clubhouse favorite Martín Maldonado, but a .609 OPS across the last three seasons won’t cut it for a full-time catcher.
The Astros could roll into 2023 with its current crew of Maldonado, Yanier Diaz and prized prospect Korey Lee as its trio of catchers. Yet it still may be worth sniffing around the free-agent and trade market for a potential Maldonado platoon mate. Could Houston’s staff fix the contact issues of former Baby Bomber Gary Sanchez? Don’t laugh, Astros fans. Perhaps Minute Maid Park is the perfect place for the flawed slugger to revive his career.