Houston Astros Have One of Baseball's 'Biggest Bust Candidates' This Season

Will a change of scenery help a new Houston Astros slugger avoid being a bust in 2025?

Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Isaac Paredes (17) throws to first against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros lineup is going to feature several new faces in 2025.

One of the players who will be assuming a major role will be Isaac Paredes, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the offseason blockbuster that sent star right fielder Kyle Tucker out of town.

That was the veteran third baseman's second time being moved in 2024.

The Cubs acquired him ahead of the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays and traded him after an underwhelming 52-game sample size.

In Chicago, Paredes recorded a slash line of .223/.325/.307 as his power numbers disappeared with only three home runs and six doubles in 212 plate appearances.

His expected slugging percentage was in the 11th percentile, incredibly disappointing numbers when taking into consideration just how much of his value is tied to his power output.

A drop in production was expected after a 31-homer campaign with the Rays in 2023, but Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report believes that Paredes could be in line for another tough showing with his new team.

The MLB writer has named the veteran third baseman as one of the 10 biggest bust candidates for the 2025 season because the power surge he had in 2023 looks like an outlier more than a breakout.

The Astros are hoping his power numbers will tick up in 2025 since he is being tasked with filling a massive void left with Alex Bregman likely moving on in free agency.

A two-time All-Star, Bregman has consistently been one of the most productive third basemen in baseball, providing excellent two-way metrics on offense and defense.

If Paredes doesn’t offer big home run numbers, the team could be looking for another option at the hot corner soon. Since he's not a great defender and has a .232 career batting average, if he isn’t blasting home runs, he doesn’t provide much value.

While there are valid reasons for Reuter to believe that the 2023 All-Star is a bust candidate, there is certainly some hope he can turn things around, too.

His dead-pull tendencies should play well at Daikin Park, with the Crawford Boxes in left field providing him a short porch to aim for.

In his career, Paredes has pulled the ball 40.1% of the time. He doesn't hit the ball particularly hard, with an average exit velocity of 86.2 mph which is below the league average of 88.2 mph, so it is imperative that he gets the ball in the air.

His fly ball and line drive rates have both improved as his career has moved along outside of the stint in Chicago.

If he gets back on track and avoids hitting ground balls, he has a chance to rediscover that power stroke with Houston.

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