Jose Altuve's Defensive Struggles Leave Astros Without Clear Options

The Astros have no easy answer for where to play Jose Altuve in 2026, and an Isaac Paredes trade could shake things up.

Sep 7, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Jose Altuve (27) walks to the on-deck circle during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Astros moved Jose Altuve to left field last season, hoping it would help hide his declining defense at second base. That plan backfired.

Altuve struggled defensively everywhere he played, and now Houston enters 2026 without a good answer for where to put their $30 million franchise icon.

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Altuve posted minus-10 defensive runs saved in left field across 47 games. That made him the worst left fielder in baseball. He was minus-7 at second base. His combined minus-18 defensive runs saved ranked third-worst in the majors, per the Fielding Bible. Only nine players in baseball had less defensive impact than him.

Houston tried shuffling Altuve between second base, left field, and DH all season. Nothing worked. He's 35 now and his offense took a step back too. Altuve hit .265/.329/.442 with 26 home runs in 155 games. That's his worst full season since 2013 if you don't count the shortened 2020 year. He's still productive, just not at the level you want from someone making $30 million.

The Astros don't have anyone ready to replace him internally. Prospect Brice Matthews got called up briefly and went 7-for-42 with four homers. He showed some power but needs more time. Matthews will probably start 2026 in Triple-A.

The Isaac Paredes Trade Could Solve This

Jul 8, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) reacts after striking out during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston team may solve their issue with Altuve if they decide to send Isaac Paredes to another team. Recently, the Boston Red Sox have been linked to Paredes, and in return, the Astros are looking to get back outfielder Jarren Duran or pitcher Brayan Bello. Paredes' trade would help solve the infield situation and allow Altuve to return to playing second base full-time.

This would make the infield: Walker at first, Altuve at second, Pena at short, and Correa at third. It's not great defensively, but at least everyone would have a single position instead of being moved around like last year.

Paredes makes sense as a trade piece. He's controlled through 2027 and made the All-Star team last year before getting hurt. Houston and Paredes are about $1.2 million apart in arbitration talks. With payroll issues piling up, trading him solves multiple problems at once.

However, the outfield still seems to be a mess. Meyers, Smith, Cole, and Sanchez are all vying for playing time. If the Astros get an outfielder in a Paredes deal, then Altuve will certainly stop playing left field. If they don't, maybe he will be out there again after all.

The main reason for Yordan Alvarez playing only 48 games last year was injuries. Therefore, it's a necessity to keep him at DH, which means Altuve can't rely on that spot to avoid playing defense like he did at times last season.

Houston finished 86-75 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Astros were eliminated on the final weekend after losing the season series to both Cleveland and Detroit, meaning they had no tiebreaker path to the postseason. Better defense might have gotten them that extra win they needed. But limiting Altuve's playing time creates other problems when you're paying him that much, and he can still hit some. There's no easy solution here.