The Astros’ infield was a hot topic last winter. It seemed like the club had five players for four spots, leading to speculation that a trade would be necessary. Former general manager Dana Brown decided not to make a move in the offseason. Houston rolled into the regular season with all of Christian Walker, Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena, Carlos Correa, and Isaac Paredes on the roster.
The choice to keep all five guys turned out to be pretty important. Pena went down with a hamstring issue in mid-April. Correa’s season ended in early May due to a severe ankle injury. The Astros’ infield logjam lasted all of two weeks.
The big winner was Paredes. He was the odd man out to begin the year. Paredes bounced around each infield spot (except shortstop) until a more permanent opportunity opened up. He took over as the everyday third baseman when Pena got hurt, with Correa sliding to short. Correa went down before Pena was ready to return, so Paredes stayed at the hot corner with no competition.
Paredes slashed a strong .262/.360/.447 in a career-high 659 plate appearances. He ranked 11th in the American League with a 130 wRC+. His 94 RBI were good for sixth in the AL. Paredes formed an imposing duo near the top of the lineup with likely AL MVP Yordan Alvarez.
The glove was a problem. Paredes posted -7 Defensive Runs Saved in 138 games at third base. After a couple of positive seasons in Tampa Bay, he’s been an underwhelming defender for three straight years. Paredes is probably more of a DH who occasionally plays the infield, instead of the other way around. The Astros don’t have that option with Alvarez taking up the DH spot the majority of the time.
Houston holds a $13.35MM club option on Paredes. That’s an easy call. The real decision will come this winter when the phone starts ringing. Paredes will have suitors once again given his cost and recent production. The Astros have holes to fill at other spots, plus some financial considerations.
Trading Paredes could be the best route to finding some help in the outfield. Outside of a few Cam Smith hot streaks and the sporadic start in left field for Alvarez, Houston struggled mightily to find consistent production on the grass. The free agent market is relatively thin at the position. It’s Randy Arozarena, the two Cubs (Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ), and not much else.
The pool is particularly lacking in center field options. Houston cycled through 10 different players there. The group combined for a .654 OPS. A reunion with Daulton Varsho might be Houston’s best hope in finding a decent center fielder through free agency.
Moving a different infielder is an option, but it won’t be easy. Walker is owed $20MM in 2027 and didn’t receive much trade interest last time around. Altuve is on the books for $50MM over the next three seasons. Correa’s deal is even more cumbersome. Pena would be the most desirable player for other teams, but dealing him would leave the Astros with 32-year-old Correa coming off ankle surgery as their only shortstop.
The club could also keep everyone again. Holding on to the infield depth proved prudent last season. There are a few shaky health bets in the mix, and that won’t change as Correa, Altuve, and company are another year older. Money might be the deciding factor.
Houston will be paying $80.5MM to Altuve, Walker, and Correa next season. MLBTR’s arbitration projections have Pena at $13.1MM for 2027. Paredes will be among the cheapest of the bunch, but his salary could be spent on a more pressing need.
Photos courtesy of Joe Nicholson and Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
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