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What’s next for the Astros after Correa’s departure?
With Trevor Story signing in Boston, the Astros are likely looking to Jeremy Peña.
If Correa departed, many believed that Houston would sign Trevor Story to a shorter, cheaper deal. I expected this to happen as well, considering the history of owner Jim Crane’s deals, but as we know, Story wound up signing a six-year deal with the Boston Red Sox.
I assume that Crane probably thought six years was too many for a 29-year-old, and I can’t say I necessarily disagree. It is also unclear how Story will fare outside of the high altitude of Coors Field.
It’s reported that Crane and general manager James Click did not budge from their offer to Correa at the beginning of the offseason, which was five years, $160 million. Also, Jeremy Peña was able to choose No. 3 at the start of spring training, which would likely be reserved for 26-man rostered player.
What do these two facts mean? I’m just speculating here, but to me, these two facts lead me to believe that the front office sees Peña as the shortstop of the Astros for now. I’m obviously not at spring training nor at Triple-A games, but they must see something from the 24-year-old that makes them think he will compete in the Major Leagues soon.
If Peña isn’t where he needs to be at the trade deadline, don’t be surprised if the Astros make a trade for a veteran shortstop on a non-contender in the last year of his contract, which could potentially even be Correa himself.
The Astros could look to trade for pitching depth during the season.
In the hypothetical scenario that the shortstop position is not an issue, the main problem the Astros have is their bullpen and the starting rotation. The starting rotation is solid, but it really needs one more guy.
This would come from a trade at the deadline most likely. The bullpen is shaky at best, but with $30 million left to stay below the competitive balance tax, I expect Houston to either sign some relievers here in the next two weeks or make deals at the deadline.
But, with the amount of guys the Astros lost this offseason, I could see the bullpen being a serious issue, that needs fixing quickly. I personally think that Click and Crane have waited too long to address this, which is quite disappointing. If the bullpen was shaky this past postseason, it is worse now, so how can the front office expect to win?
Many fans have said that it will be hard for the Astros to make trades as the farm system is somewhat depleted, when you look at prospects rankings. Yet, there are players like Jake Meyers, Bryan De La Cruz and others that counter this argument, who show major-league value after not being ranked.
Next. Astros grab another lefty reliever on a minor-league deal. dark
This leads me to believe that a pitcher, another bat or a shortstop will be traded for at the deadline. It seems like the front office thinks the price will be lower around the deadline than it is right now, and I hope that is correct.