Houston Astros Offseason Trade Acquisition Has Started Spring Training Strong

One of the featured pieces of the Kyle Tucker trade has performed well so far for the Houston Astros this spring.

Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes scores against the New York Mets during the first inning at CACTI Park. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have had a very back-and-forth offseason, making some quality signings but also allowing multiple players to depart.

One of the most notable moves for them during this span of time has been the trade of Kyle Tucker, sending him to the Chicago Cubs.

Shipping out one of their best players was a tough call to make, but doing so at the peak of his value may have been perfect timing for the Astros.

The return pieces for Houston were third baseman Cam Smith, right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski and infielder Isaac Paredes. The two hitters in this deal have been exceptional in spring training, with Smith proving his value as the top prospect in the Astros system already.

However, the other third base acquisition has also shown flashes as well, with Paredes performing at a solid level in his first action for Houston.

In three games so far, he has put up two hits in six plate appearances, with three runs, two RBI, two walks, a home run and a strikeout.

With Alex Bregman no longer on the team, the third base position will be filled by Paredes. They need him to replace the output their two-time World Series champion left behind.

Paredes has been solid so far in his MLB career, with 2023 being his best year, but 2024 was not far behind.

Last season, between the Cubs and his previous team, the Tampa Bay Rays, he played in 153 games and got 542 at-bats. He accrued a .238/.346/.739 slash line with 80 RBI, 64 runs, 105 strikeouts to 76 walks and 19 home runs.

2024 was tough for him in the field, however, playing 1,107.1 innings at third base and putting up a .948 fielding rate.

At first base he was a little more sound, with 121.0 innings and a .992 fielding rate.

He will now have the chance to work with Houston on furthering his development to get back to his 2023 form where he finished 18th in AL MVP voting and had a solid bat all season long.

The trade at the deadline last year also could have made things difficult on Paredes, so maybe a full season with one team will help him improve even further.