No one seems quite certain what the Houston Astros are going to do this offseason. Will the organization surge forward on the free-agent market after a shocking loss to the Detroit Tigers in the 2024 American League Wild Card round? Or will the team lick its wounds and seek some luxury tax relief by jettisoning some salary? According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic , The Astros are reportedly considering trading $14 million bullpen arm Ryan Pressly to pare some payroll. Starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi is widely believed likely to move on to greener pastures after starring in Houston following a July deadline trade.
Will the Astros use that freed-up money to re-sign free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman? Or will another Major League Baseball team outbid Houston for his services? While the organization answers these questions, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com urges them to consider a pair of major-league veterans who will likely fortify the team's roster at a relatively low cost in first baseman Carlos Santana and infielder Jorge Polanco. While neither name will make front-page headlines in the Houston Chronicle should they sign with the Astros, they possess talents that the team could use.
Santana is a 15-year MLB veteran who won his first Gold Glove while manning first base for the Minnesota Twins in 2024. While he possesses just a .242 batting average, Santana has always managed to get on base often.
He possesses a career OPS of .785 and posted a .749 in that category last season.
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