The Astros’ run atop the AL West has been buoyed by the presence of one of MLB’s most prolific sluggers, George Springer, and a revolving door of steady veterans in the corners. (Yes, you may insert your jokes here about what else has propelled their run of winning seasons, but the aim here is to take an actual look at the looming roster conundrums they’ll face.) Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick flanked Springer in 2019, while other iterations of the club have included Nori Aoki and Marwin Gonzalez in left field. Over the past few years, the since-traded Jake Marisnick has been a glove-first reserve option to help stabilize the mix.
Now, the Astros stand to not only lose Springer to free agency this coming winter, but also both Brantley and Reddick. Springer will hit the open market for the first time after reaching six years of MLB service, while Brantley’s two-year, $32MM deal and Reddick’s four-year, $52MM pact are both set to expire. Things get even murkier for the Astros with the impending departure of Yuli Gurriel, whose initial five-year deal with the team comes to a close with the 2020 season. Gurriel agreed to a new one-year deal overwriting the final season of that previous pact last offseason, and he’s set to join Springer, Brantley and Reddick this coming winter.
It’s rare that any team, let alone a perennial World Series contender, enters an offseason with the potential of turning over 44 percent of its starting lineup, but that’s the precise situation in which newly hired GM James Click will find himself before year’s end.
On the plus side, the ’Stros have some likely replacements in house already. Kyle Tucker, 23, has been regularly ranked among the game’s elite prospects since being selected just three picks after Houston took Alex Bregman in the 2015 draft. (Bregman, of course, was a college player while Tucker was coming out of high school, hence the discrepancy in their timeline to the big leagues.)
A 2018 cup of coffee for Tucker didn’t produce much in the way of results (.141/.236/.203, 72 plate appearances), but he had a big Triple-A season in 2019 and hit .269/.319/.537 in an identical sample of plate appearances. In 998 PAs at the Triple-A level, Tucker has a .297/.375/.571 slash with 58 homers and 50 steals (in 59 tries). Tucker has All-Star potential that he hasn’t yet had a regular chance to show off due to the team’s largely set outfield mix. At the same time, the Astros have steadfastly refused to consider making him available in trades. He should get his opportunity in 2021 at the latest, and his ability to play all three outfield spots (even if he fits best in a corner long term) give the Astros some flexibility in pursuing other options. The club doesn’t have many pure outfield options right now, having traded the likes of J.D. Davis, Ramon Laureano, Derek Fisher and Teoscar Hernandez away in recent years.
At first base, the club could turn things over to Abraham Toro, who hit .306/.393/.513 in the pitcher-friendly Double-A Texas League before clubbing Pacific Coast League opposition at a .424/.506/.606 clip in 79 PAs. Toro didn’t do much in limited MLB time at the plate, but his bat appears mostly MLB-ready. He’s a third base prospect with questions about his glovework there, and some scouting reports (including those at FanGraphs, MLB.com and Baseball America) suggest that he could fit better at first base or (in FanGraphs’ case) left field. Yordan Alvarez is technically an option in left field or at first base, but the Astros feel better about him as a regular designated hitter and may not be keen on deploying his glove on an everyday basis.
Assuming Tucker and Toro are entrusted with two spots in the lineup, the Astros will still need to bring in at least two everyday players via trade or free agency, and they’ll need to do so with some semblance of cost efficiency. Houston already has nearly $117MM on the books in 2021 and more than $134MM worth of luxury tax obligations. That’s before factoring in arbitration raises on the 2020 salaries of Roberto Osuna ($10MM), Carlos Correa ($8MM), Lance McCullers Jr. ($4.1MM), Chris Devenski ($2MM), Aledmys Diaz ($2.6MM), Joe Biagini ($1MM) and Dustin Garneau ($650K).
Re-signing any of Gurriel, Brantley or Reddick would fill one spot without requiring a particularly long-term commitment, although Reddick’s bat has waned in recent seasons. C.J. Cron and Jake Lamb will both be options at first base, while Nick Markakis, Kevin Pillar and old friends Marwin Gonzalez and Hunter Pence represent short-term outfield possibilities. Springer and Mookie Betts are the top options on the outfield market, but signing either would likely bring the ’Stros within striking distance of a second straight season of luxury penalization. More affordable names include Marcell Ozuna, Joc Pederson and Jackie Bradley Jr.
Trade candidates are a bit more difficult to suss out this far in advance, although it wouldn’t be a surprise if Corey Dickerson (Marlins), Ender Inciarte (Braves), Gregory Polanco (Pirates), Brian Goodwin (Angels), Eddie Rosario (Twins) or Kyle Schwarber (Cubs) were to appear on the rumor circuit this summer.
Regardless of how Click and his staff choose to proceed, the Astros seem likely to be in the hunt for multiple regulars this winter, and their notable arbitration class and crop of high-priced 2021 salaries will necessitate a creative and/or low-cost addition or two.
How many trash can comments will there be?
Put an over/under number
I’ll bet more comments than amount of games the Astros hitters were suspended for cheating the game
As an Astros fan I have to say we deserve better trolls.
These trolls aren’t even entertaining
At least make me laugh every once in awhile
Their jokes are definitely very trashy
“Their jokes are definitely very trashy”
I see what you did there!
astros cheated more than manfred said. baseball fans are not satisfied with the punishment astros received. it’s natural fans are angry.is it wrong for fans to express their displeasure here since that commissioner got rid of mlb boards? if he hadn’t, most fans would have flooded astros’!
As a Sox fan, I wish MLB and the MLBPA would have agreed to a private, independent investigation. of course MLB didn’t want that and once full immunity was offered, the PA was on board. Us fans who pay the freight however deserve the truth about both investigations.
Yep. Spot on Dewey.
I agree Dewey, well said
If you want to see deluded… check out the Astros FB page. Denial is not just an river in Egypt.
I guess people need an outlet to vent given that the punishment was a joke.
*
There’s 1.
BANG BANG BUZZ BUZZ WHISTLE WHISTLE
So, how many screen names is that for you in 90 days? And you still post the same stupid comment over and over again.
“jokes”? Wtf???
Eeeeeeeeeeeexcellent. Everything is going according to plan.
The Astros should not worry about losing their outfielders. They haven’t been the strength of the lineup. I would let them all go and give Tucker his shot. Springer looks like a poor man’s version of Stanton. He seems to always get injured.
Brantley was one of their best hitters last year. And yeah Springer got hurt but he was having the best season of his career before the injury.
Trashcan for MVP!
The Trashshtros should have their mascot dress as a trash can and call him trashy
I like Brantley.
Professional hitter. Perfect for the lineup.
Springer will be for the fans.
But in terms of baseball. Brantley is a lot more valuable and should be the one resigned out of the two
In regards to losing production.
Could be a blessing in disguise because of Tucker and possibly Toro.
Brantley is a pylon in LF. He should be a DH. Springer plays CF and whacks
Springer is waaay better than Brantley
Springer is worth keeping.
No shot the Astros bring back all of their big names. They better hope that their minor leaguers start producing in the bigs. They shouldn’t want to bring back Correa anyway so that’s one choice down.
Correa possibly will take a team friendly deal to stay.
Don’t think Correa wants to leave Houston.
The market for him isn’t what it should be.
Possibly for a lot of these players.
Brantley is the exception but a lot of these players might not find the market to their liking.
Maybe I have a different perspective of Correa but I believe he is extremely overrated given his inability to stay healthy. He also hasn’t lived up to his hype when he has been on the field outside of his one stellar season. Not to mention, he made himself look like a fool when he was criticizing Cody Bellinger regarding Bellinger’s interview of the Astros cheating scandal. If I were the Astros he is one guy that I wouldn’t even try to bring back.
One man’s fool is another man’s hero
Bellinger truthfully sounds like a female when he speaks.
Correa should call him out
Bellinger said that “people lost respect for the Astros after what they did.” Correa responded with “that’s not how that works,” among other things. That is exactly how respect is lost. The Astros cheated. Most of them did a good job of keeping their mouth shut and taking the verbal beating. Correa decided to dig the hole deeper and defend it. That’s idiotic and foolish.
Cory Bellinger only speaks for himself so truthfully he is in the wrong.
He sounds pretty upset about everything. Actually the entire Dodgers do.
They really aren’t important enough to worry about. Let them keep worrying about the Astros though.
Bellinger isnt in the wrong at all. No shot. Cheating is a huge reason that people lose respect for others. For example, every know steroid user in baseball history – some still like them but a lot of people have lost respect for them. When you cheat and get caught at that level, you shut your mouth and take the verbal beating.
Sounds like some anger issues.
No man is going to sit there and ” take a beating”
Especially when cheating is so widespread.
Look at the Dodgers.
Bellinger is an average hitter. Was he getting the pitches last year. His numbers definitely look inflated.
Who is “Cory” Bellinger?
You’re slipping, troll
I been asking myself that as well.
Who is Bellinger?
I see why the Yankees are upset. But the Dodgers. They weren’t going to beat the Astros or the Red Sox
Not sure where you are getting the “anger issues” from. It doesnt impact my day to day life and I probably have more connections to the Astros than most other commenters on here. You don’t cheat and then defend the cheating act.
You’re comment about Bellinger seems WAY off base. He was a top prospect who has shown can be not only a terrific hitter but a versatile defender too. so where do you get the idea that he is an average hitter? I have no connection to either team but that comment really stuck out to me as ridiculous.
Well, astros fans do apparently.
If you saw the whole Correa interview, he only defended Altuve, Reddick, and Kemp. He said, the rest of the team (including him) cheated and deserve whatever criticism comes their way, but Altuve didn’t do anything wrong.
That’s why you are not the Astros.
I’ll take springer
If Bellinger is “average” I’ll take average.
How is Springer still not a free agent? Seems like he’s been in the big leagues since 2013 or 2014.
One of those years would’ve seen him as a FA already. The other would not. Any guesses as to which year?
rebuild!
Time for a reset…..
Jim Crane was asked in a virtual press briefing this morning about how he would prevent cheating in the future, and here is what he said, “We in the Astros organization do not endorse cheating. It is cruel, insensitive, and harmful to the game, and for that reason, all trash cans in the clubhouse will now be replaced with trash chutes.”
Does anyone see these guys getting a serious deal after their cheating? Sounds like Altuve,Reddick,and Kemp were the only “non cheaters” if you can call them that. I think any shot these guys ever had at HOF is gone, which seems unfortunate for Altuve who looked like a lock.
Altuve is still going to get in, and despite being a Rangers fan, I hope he does. He was good before the scandal, and still is. He is only 29, and already has 1,500 hits. Now there is one stipulation to this: despite him “not cheating”, if the HOF voters let him in, that opens the floodgates for other players from cheating teams to get in. Or even PED users… That’s the tricky part.
Me personally, I do not think Altuve is a Hall of Famer yet. Yet being the key word. If he puts good numbers for at least 3 more years then yes but… lets just say his career takes a Pedroia type turn then no.
The Hall of Fame committee, IMO, puts WAY too much stock on what players do off the diamond and will allow a stain like the cheating scandal to weigh heavily on Altuve. He will have to be a “no doubter” because of where he played and the cheating scandal (and yes, I believe whole heartily that he cheated).
Lost all respect for Altuve and the other cheatin players. no HOF for any of them. as a matter of fact I’m not going to vote for any of them for the all star game either even if they deserve it.
The whole sign stealing “investigations” and “punishments” or lack there of, is a slap in the face to baseball fans which is one of the reasons I’m not even missing baseball at the moment.
The punishment for the Astros is a joke, the fact they didn’t bother to investigate other cheating allegations and other seasons is a bigger joke. The Red Sox investigation however is a mockery and every fan should feel insulted by the “findings”.
I personally feel like the commissioners office knew about cheating LONG before they bothered to “investigate” and their minimal punishments were an agreement for organizations to NOT blow the whistle on what they knew and when they knew it.
I find it impossible to believe that the White Sox did not put in a formal complain in September of 2017. I know the Yankees complained in 2017 AND in 2018 when they were stealing signs during the playoffs. Yet, there was no investigation…
The conspiracy theorist in me looks at the fact that since Manfred has taken over as commissioner he has been trying to find ways to add more offense, make baseball more entertaining for younger, more diverse fans. Baseball has used a juiced ball, Manfred has talked about moving the pitchers mound back and lowering it, eliminating the shift, adding a universal DH and so on. Do we really think making a reliever face a three batter minimum is all about “pace of play” or is it to eliminate lefty/lefty match ups late in games to add more excitement?
I personally think MLB Baseball knew about sign stealing and they were perfectly okay with it until finally a player blew the whistle in the most public way possible and MLB was FORCED to take action.
Lastly, I think Manfred made agreements with the Astros and Red Sox that no players would be punished and the penalties would be rather light and got the rest of the league on board by saying they would not investigate any further claims such as the claims that the Brewers were signaling.
The difference is you have an actual start date with Altuve if people believe he cheated
Altuve wasn’t involved in cheating when he first came up even if he was involved at all
Altuve has been one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball since he started with the Astros.
AJ Hinch wasn’t the manager.
When the Astros were absolutely horrible it was Altuve smacking hits all over the place
Only hitter that 0-2 doesn’t matter.
Not a lot of great 0-2 hitters but Altuve has been one since Day 1.
Barry Bonds Roger Clemens many others were good before the steroids. HOF worthy but guess what they are not in and no Astro should be either. Cheatin does not pay!!!!
So any player that shared a team with Bonds/Clemens should be denied HOF status because they were on the same team? Makes sense…
Not sure if Barry even has any former teammate in Cooperstown unless they are employed by the museum.
If 90% of the team were getting shots in the dugout for everyone on the team to know about, yes 1 to 3 players that were clean should never be enshrined. 3 players if you believe Correa didn’t take the help, those 3 players still allowed 22 other players to cheat openly in front of them.
So Verlander shouldn’t be in the HOF?
ANYONE on the 2017 Astros should not be in the HOF, they cheated openly in the dugout in plain view. It would be like a player in the 90’s shooting up his teammates with steroids everyday, winning the WS then said he had nothing to do with the cheating. I don’t think any Astro player from that team has any respect for the game, or the ability to play naive about it.
“He was good before the scandal.”
Think about that sentence.
PED users are already in the HoF.
All Altuve has to do is continue to hit like he has. By the time he’s on the ballot, there’s probably going to be more teams going down for post-apple watch sign stealing anyways. There’s already been three teams who have been caught abusing the replay system, I don’t think it’s naive to assume the vast majority of the league has to some degree.
Altuve being tied to a confirmed cheating scandal that the league punished I think eliminates his eligibility. Barry Bonds was arguably the best hitter in the history of the game, still waiting on his call. Cheating is cheating, the problem is there are already HOFers who used Greenies,Pine tar, corked bats,scuffed balls,and steroids.
1. It’s way too early to even discuss hof for most of these guys. U have to play 10 yrs, to even make the ballot, so anything before that is foolish. Alot can happen… injuries,death, or just fall off a cliff. But, just like negative could happen, so could positive. These guys could potentially play 10 more yrs. If they go to say ny, bos, la and they are perennial allstars, win col titles and mvps alot will be forgiven and forgotten.
A lot can be forgiven by those teams who use him to win a world series, but I don’t believe for a second Jose Altuve’s name will ever be clean in MLB fans eyes. If he can keep his BA above .300 which is a absolute stud for his career I would think he is in. IMO his 2017 ring and MVP are the only accolades he needs. Not sure how I’d feel if my teams only WS was a cheat, but hey I’m a M’s fan probably never have to worry about that.
Wouldn’t falling off a cliff result in injuries or death?
Not on The A-Team.
I’m not too sure we can say that Altuve didn’t cheat. Sure, Insaw the data that said there were fewer “bangs” when he batted, but I also don’t buy his silly story about why he didn’t want his Jersey ripped off. I believe he was wearing some kind of buzzer.
I’m not too sure we can say that Altuve didn’t cheat. Sure, I saw the data that said there were fewer “bangs” when he batted, but I also don’t buy his silly story about why he didn’t want his Jersey ripped off. I believe he was wearing some kind of buzzer.
Watching him wave his finger, and mouth not my shirt before holding on tight is pretty suspect. I don’t buy that BS Correa tried to push about his wife asking him not to do that. If I just hit a walk off to send me to the WS, and my wife has a problem with me celebrating, she can find a new Husband
A better excuse would have been to say Altuve didn’t want the jersey ruined so he could donate the uniform to the Astros Hall of Fame or to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, display the worn jersey. Guys ripping other guys clothes as a means of celebration seems more appropriate for the bedroom.
There are three teams right now desperately praying for a 2020 season, The Astros, Dodgers and Cubs.
As the article stated, the Astros have the potential to lose several key players next off season.
The Dodgers obviously gave up a mint to acquire Betts, went into luxury tax territory and failed to execute the Pederson trade.
Cubs are in luxury tax territory still and would have no choice as to reset the tax for the 2021 season. Then Baez, Bryant, Rizzo and Schwarber could all go to free agency. As a Cubs fan, I said all offseason that the priority number one should have been to move under the luxury tax for 2020 even if that meant giving away either Chatwood or Quintana for a minimal return. Resetting the tax was/is too important to worry about “maximizing” a return on a certain player.
In all seriousness, if the A’s are losing Semien, and the Astros lose Springer+, will the Rangers and Angels step up to the same level as the Astros and A’s in 21′? Is the AL West going to be the new NL Central in 21′? Many good teams that all end the season with similar results? BTW if the Rangers sign Springer or Betts, that would be the ultimate snap back at the Astros for being the little brother of Texas for the past 3 years lol. They won’t own the Astros by any means, but it would make the silver boot series a little more interesting.
Truthfully forgot you even existed.
That’s a fair assessment lol, I think a lot of people would say that.
Would love to have Michael Brantley on my team. Dude just flat out hits.
I think the chances of bringing Springer back are pretty good. Contracts are going to be greatly depressed next offseason so I could even see George take a 1 year deal to see if things are better in 2022.
Could also see Yuli sign short term here. He doesn’t seem to be a guy who would get a big offer even if all of this wasn’t going on, and he is the steady glue type of bat that is needed
No to Alvarez in the OF. He is terrible out there and already has knee issues. His position needs to be batter
I also think a guy like Crane is likely doing better than many owners outside of baseball income. His wealth is mostly in logistics and shipping which has held pretty steady. Team owners in oil and gas and many other businesses are taking a financial bath
I said it before and I’ll say it again. How are people going to feel with all these Astros are on other teams. I’m pretty sure you’re not gonna talk trash once Jose Altuve is your second baseman
Yes, of course they will. If people are willing to cheer for Aroldis Chapman, Roberto Osuna, Addison Russell, or guys like that when their teams acquire them, they better not take issue with guys like Springer or Bregman. And if they do, they seriously need to check their morals.
But osuna was acquired by the same team and springer and bregman
I would have a “give your ring back” sign for any of these guys even on my team. Altuve is the only one, thanks to Correa for throwing everyone else under the bus who may be paid well. I’m kinda surprised no other player came out saying they didn’t take the trash can and Correa is wrong, but then again who would believe them.
I had people say that about Mookie Betts that are dodger fans and guess what one of them has a Mookie Betts jersey now.
Yurriel us a good hitter but I wonder if last season’s huge bump in power and a smaller bump in his batting eye (his OBP was up a bit too) was related to the baseball being so lively. is he truly a 30 homer guy or a 15 homer dude? We may not find out this year.
Welp, I guess it’s back to being the Lastris for the next decade or two.
Myles Straw is a future all star lead off guy. Not sure why he wasn’t mentioned.
Thank you, how is there not one mention of Straw? Guarantee he’s a replacement for one of these FA and starter next year. And I agree, potential all star. Yet no mention here.