Houston Astros may not upgrade key position in free agency, insiders say

Houston Astros enter the offseason with some obvious needs on their roster.

The most pressing issue is trying to get Alex Bregman back on a long-term contract after he was allowed to become a free agent. They will have an early chance to negotiate and work on a deal before other teams can, something the Astros will certainly take advantage of once the World Series is over.

Once this situation is resolved, it will become more clear what Houston will do, but until then, the only thing they can really do right now is plan for how they will proceed if their star returns or decides to leave.

In the case of the former, the money it would cost to re-sign Bregman likely limits what they can do to fix the problems with the rest of the roster, and according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.comthis would mean that they would not pursue the first baseman.

“First base depends on what happens with Bregman. If the Astros sign Bregman, they will continue to form a platoon at first base with John Singleton and Victor Caratini. Another name to watch is Zach Desenzo… who the club believes is close to becoming a key piece in the equation,” he writes.

Opportunity in 2025, perspective No. 5 will be used more often this is something that was discussed, especially after last season he had more work in the first stage than in the third.

How that might change if Bregman doesn’t return remains to be seen, but the insider says the Astros would be comfortable using the same strategy they used at the position, rotating multiple players depending on platoon and availability.

This may not be what Houston fans want to hear, but the reality is that unless owner Jim Crane wants to be one of the biggest donors in Major League Baseball, he will hover around the luxury tax threshold in hopes of staying just below it . .

However, it’s clear that the Astros’ top priority is signing their franchise legend to a long-term deal, and after that, everything else will fall into place, including keeping things the same at first base.