Houston Astros sign veteran outfielder to minor-league deal

The Houston Astros added a center fielder on Wednesday. No, not THAT one. Meet Jose Siri.

The Houston Astros are in agreement with free-agent outfielder Jose Siri on a minor-league deal, a source tells FanSided’s Robert Murray. The deal includes an invite to major-league spring training.

Siri, 25, will provide the Astros with upper-minors outfield depth. The team has only three outfielders on the 40-man roster and with George Springer, Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick still free agents, general manager James Click is looking to accumulate as much quality depth as he can.

Siri, however, did not appear in a game in 2020, spending time with the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds. He is playing in the Dominican Winter League for the Gigantes, hitting .281 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 24 games. And when word of the signing was reported, he was mid at-bat in a game.

It is unlikely that Siri makes a large impact on the major league roster, but his talent is evident. He has paired with Texas Rangers’ Ronald Guzman atop the Gigantes lineup and formed a strong 1-2 punch. And he was formerly a top-10 prospect for the Reds as recently as 2019, ranking as high as No. 8, playing all three outfield positions ( his primary position being center field).

It appears that the Astros are starting to become more aggressive on the free-agent market. The team is reportedly in serious talks with Jason Castro to bring the veteran back to Houston. And they have been active looking for solutions in the outfield and late innings.

What the team ultimately does is unclear, but Castro and Siri would be low-cost moves that maintain financial flexibility. And for an Astros team with so many holes that is also dealing with financial constraints, they make all the sense in the world.