MLB Insider Says Astros Oddly Amongst Potential Suitors for Phillies All-Star Slugger

Could the Houston Astros poach a Philadelphia Phillies All-Star slugger in free agency?

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The Houston Astros, despite plenty of obstacles to overcome, are once again atop the American League West, looking like the team to beat in the division.

They have opened up a four-game lead over the Seattle Mariners despite some real difficulties recently. Fortunately for them, their divisional rivals went ice cold at the same time.

Things are looking up for the Astros as well, with some key contributors returning to the team, such as Yordan Alvarez, and more, like center fielder Jake Meyers, nearing a return.

While the focus is on winning still down the stretch, some members of the franchise are certainly turning their attention to the offseason. Houston will have some difficult decisions to make this year, once again in free agency.

Chief amongst them is the status of ace, Framber Valdez. Will the Astros bring him back, or will he meet the same fate as several other homegrown stars who departed in free agency before him?

Should Valdez depart, their No. 1 priority will be finding starting pitching help. Beyond Hunter Brown, there is nothing set in stone for this rotation in 2026 and beyond.

Spencer Arrighetti should be in the mix, and the team has Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr., who all returned from injury this year.

Can they count on those guys moving forward? Depth will be an issue as well, with Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco both undergoing Tommy John surgery this year. As a result, pitching looks to be where their focus will be this offseason.

MLB Insider Names Astros As Potential Suitor for Kyle Schwarber

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But, MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN believes they could at least look around the hitting market for an upgrade. Shockingly, he has listed the team amongst the potential suitors for Philadelphia Phillies All-Star slugger, Kyle Schwarber. They are one of six franchises other than the Phillies he named.

“And although remaining in Philadelphia makes the most sense, enough teams have holes at DH -- looking at you, Texas, San Diego, Atlanta, Houston, Detroit and Cincinnati -- that no amount of labor unrest will cause Schwarber's market to dry up,” he wrote.

Every team would love to add a slugger of his caliber to their lineup. However, his fit with the Astros makes very little sense. Receiving almost all of his playing time exclusively as the designated hitter, there doesn’t seem to be any room for him in Houston.

There are already enough issues finding a place to hide Jose Altuve in the lineup. He has played some left field and second base this season, both with brutal results defensively. Alvarez has performed better in left field than Altuve, but has been mostly a designated hitter throughout his career as well.

Where would Schwarber fit into that mix? Making things work with three players who offer very little defensively would be hard to envision. An offense that produced sporadically at times would certainly benefit from his bat, but it is hard to see a fit for him on the roster.