One Club Option the Astros Should Exercise and One They Should Decline

Now that the Houston Astros have been eliminated from the 2026 playoffs, the front office, which doesn't have a general manager at the moment, has to make some contract decisions on their players for the 2027 season.

Astros owner Jim Crane has taken over baseball operations since Dana Brown was fired as the Houston general manager earlier this season. Whether Crane assigns a new general manager before or after the World Series remains unknown, but it is needed.

That said, the Astros have two club options when the offseason officially begins. A “club option” means the team has the full authority to decide whether the option will be exercised, not the player. Every franchise has five days after the World Series to decide on options on players' contracts.

Houston has two players, one offensive and one pitcher, under those contract agreements, and if this season was an indication of something, it's that one of these players deserves the club option to be exercised while the other should be declined.

Exercise Option: 3B Isaac Paredes

Isaac Paredes gets a single — Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) hits a single at Daikin Park. Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Here we go again, another offseason where the Astros have a decision to make surrounding third baseman Isaac Paredes. Paredes almost got traded before the 2026 season got underway, but Houston's glad he's still theirs after a strong campaign.

Paredes finished his second season in Houston with 25 home runs, 94 RBIs and a .262 batting average. He increased his home run total by five from 2025, his RBI total by 41, walked 21 more times, and hit 27 doubles compared to the 17 in his first season with the franchise.

While he wasn't an All-Star as he was in 2025, Paredes had his highest WAR (4.0) since 2023 with the Tampa Bay Rays (4.2). According to Spotrac, Houston has a $13.4 million club option for the 2027 season on Paredes and given his numbers in 155 games - the most in his career - he seems worth keeping around despite his on-again, off-again defense.

Decline Option: RHP Ryan Weiss

The other club option the Astros have on the agenda this offseason is right-handed pitcher Ryan Weiss. Weiss, 29, appeared in nine games for Houston this season, holding a 7.62 ERA across 26 innings and a WHIP of 2.115.

Weiss spent most of his season in Triple-A, but his numbers weren't much improved. In 22 games with the Triple-A squad, Weiss had a 5.42 ERA across 76.1 innings, allowing 83 hits and nine home runs, and posting a WHIP of 1.59.

According to Spotrac, Weiss has a club option for $5 million in 2027, following a salary of $2.6 million in 2026. Given his performance in both the major and minor leagues, it seems unlikely that Houston would want to commit to this investment.

After all, acquiring MLB-ready pitchers for the bullpen is a higher priority than taking a chance on Weiss, especially when he might earn $5 million and potentially end up playing in Triple-A.

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