Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Reportedly Interested in San Diego Padres All-Star

The Houston Astros are reportedly interested in adding a one-time All-Star after his breakout season with the San Diego Padres.
Dylan Sanders|
Oct 8, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar (10) celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park.
Oct 8, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar (10) celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. | David Frerker-Imagn Images

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Houston Astros

The Houston Astros have been in need of outfield help all offseason, and they could be looking at adding an All-Star in free agency to address it.

In an appearance on MLB network earlier this morning, insider Mark Feinsand reported that the Astros and Toronto Blue Jays have shown interest in outfielder/utility man Jurickson Profar.

Profar has been around the league for a while now, Houston fans may remember him most for his lackluster time with the rival Texas Rangers, but he broke out this past season with the San Diego Padres.

The soon-to-be 32-year-old posted a .280/.380/.459 slash line with 24 home runs and 85 RBI. He was also named to his first career All-Star team. It was a fantastic year, so it would have made sense if teams had approached his market earlier in free agency.

The biggest issue, though, is that it is a large outlier when looking back at his previous campaigns. Some teams may be scared that it is a fluke season and they will struggle to get a return on investment from him.

His previous best full season was back in 2022 when he posted a .243/.331/.391 slash line with 15 home runs and 58 RBI. It wasn't awul, but is much more replaceable.

As for the Astros, they may be approaching a point where they can't be too safe. Their current outfield is weak, especially so after the trade of Kyle Tucker.

If the year were to start right now, their starting outfield would include Chas McCormick in right, Jake Meyers in center and a platoon of players in left. That might be fine defensively, but is lacking an impact bat.

The safest bet with Profar would likely be a shorter deal better money that includes options. Perhaps he can continue playing well and secure a long term deal offseason with a better resume.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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