Houston Astros Predicted to Sign Left-Handed Slugger to Improve Outfield

The Houston Astros are projected to make one more move in order to give their outfield a bit more offense entering the season.

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) hits an RBI single during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

With the start of Spring Training nearly here for the Houston Astros, a very busy offseason is nearly coming to a close.

Nobody likely predicted the amount of change that the Astros underwent this offseason. Even though the team had a disappointing early exit in the postseason for the first time in a long time, the roster in 2024 looked like it could still compete for a World Series.

The main move that changed the outlook for the offseason and the 2025 campaign was the decision to trade Kyle Tucker. The superstar outfielder was still under contract, unlike free-agent Alex Bregman who is still on the market, meaning that Houston didn’t have to lose him if they chose not to.

That decision was an eye-opening one, that while Houston might still be a team that is largely in a win-now mode, they just traded arguably their best player.

Even with the superstar outfielder last season, production from the outfield of the Astros wasn’t great. Obviously, trading away Tucker didn’t make it any better and they also didn’t receive a player in the trade to fill the positional void.

With options starting to get limited in the outfielder on the free-agent market, Houston needs to find a worthwhile replacement quickly.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently predicted that the Astros would try and improve their outfield by signing outfielder Alex Verdugo.

After several successful seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Verdugo was a disappointment for the New York Yankees in 2024. The 28-year-old slashed .233/.291/.354 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI.

Even though it might have been a poor year in the Bronx for the left-hander, throughout his career, he has slashed .272/.328/.414.

Those are certain numbers that Houston would take next year in an outfield that is underwhelming on offense heading into 2025.

Currently, the only left-handed outfield option that the Astros have is the recently-signed Ben Gamel. The veteran outfielder is a solid contact hitter, but Verdugo would be a massive upgrade to him, even coming off a down season.

Overall, with an outfield currently consisting of Gamel and Mauricio Dubón likely in a platoon role, along with Chas McCormick and Jake Myers, there is plenty of cause for concern.

Even with the loss of Tucker and likely Bregman, the top six of the lineup doesn’t look bad for Houston. However, with three outfielders likely in the bottom three spots of the order, it’s a clear indication that they need help.

With that being said, signing Verdugo makes a lot of sense for the Astros.