Houston Astros way-too-early 2021 season roster projections

Here’s an early look at how the Houston Astros roster may shape up for the 2021 season.

It’s been a painfully slow offseason thus far for most MLB teams, and the Houston Astros are no exception. In fact, aside from getting rid of some players, they haven’t done much of anything. That should change before Spring Training starts, but for now, there are some roster spots up for grabs.

The Astros had a difficult 2020 regular season, but it gave them the opportunity to see how some of their minor leaguers would fare on the big stage. A few of them performed quite well and have likely earned themselves a guaranteed spot on the roster in 2021. Others will find themselves on the roster bubble.

How many of these young players make the roster next year will depend on who GM James Click decides to add this offseason. The trade route can’t be dismissed completely, but more than likely the additions will come via free agency. At least two starting spots in the outfield are open and possibly the closer role as well, so these projections will likely change by February.

Some players who were injured or ineffective in 2020, such as Roberto Osuna, Chris Devenski and Brad Peacock, are no longer with the team. George Springer, Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick are all free agents, with only Brantley seeming to have a legitimate chance to return. The Astros roster next season could look quite different from the one that reached the World Series in 2019.