Astros: 3 free agent shortstops that aren’t Carlos Correa

From all appearances, Carlos Correa and the Houston Astros will be no more in the near future. There was no doubt Correa would decline the Astros’ qualifying offer and perfunctory five-year, $160 million offer and enjoy the fruits of his labor via free agency.

As rumors begin to swirl and Correa removes Astros references from his social media, the reality sets in that there will almost surely be a different man turning double plays with Jose Altuve and batting in Correa’s spot in the Astros 2022 lineup.

The good news is there are several good candidates to choose from. The bad news is none of them are Carlos Correa.

But move forward we must, as we take a look at three potential shortstops for the Astros that are not Carlos Correa.

Corey Seager could be an option for the Astros’ shortstop vacancy.

Like Correa, Corey Seager is 27-years-old. Seager only played 95 games this year and put up good offensive numbers, slashing .306/.394/.521 with an OPS+ of 145, but he was a defensive liability at -5 outs above average, which is in the sixth percentile for Major Leaguers.

Seager’s had better defensive seasons but never anything that stands out or comes close to Correa. Seager’s also has some injury history, which makes you pause on a hefty long-term deal, but maybe that helps the Astros financially. It’s difficult to see this as a fit for Houston.

Summary: Good bat, right age, questionable defense, injury history concern.

Although on the older side of free agents, Trevor Story’s bat would fit nicely into the Astros’ lineup.

Trevor Story is slightly older at 29-years-old and likely more affordable, but then again there are reasons for that. Story was average offensively and that’s with monster splits in Coors Field, batting 93 points higher at home than on the road (.203/.292/.426 on road) which brings into question what offensive numbers he’ll bring without 81 games in Coors Field.

Story’s defense also suffered in 2021 with a -7 outs above average. Story has been up and down defensively from season to season, being below average some years and popping at 18 OOA in 2019, before heading back down in 2021. It doesn’t scream bargain, but there are those who like him.

Summary: Average bat, questionable defense, Coors splits concern.

Although a former American League West foe, Marcus Semien would be a nice addition to the Astros.

Marcus Semien played second base last year for the Toronto Blue Jays and had a monster offensive season with 45 home runs, 102 RBI and an OPS+ of 133. He played shortstop for six years (780 games) in Oakland, but his defense at the position was not good.

His 131 wRC+ in 2021 was right behind Correa’s (134) and the 133 OPS+ is actually a couple ticks higher than Correa’s. The fly in the ointment is as a shortstop with Oakland Semien had a negative OAA every season, and at 31-years-old, he’s not a long term answer.

Summary: Above average bat that has Crawford Boxes written all over it, bad defense at short, older than preferred.