3 ex-Astros still jobless before spring training (but one comeback might be brewing)

The Houston Astros are quickly approaching the start of spring training, but there is still work to be done. The expectation remains that the Astros will trade one of Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker before Opening Day, and Dana Brown and Co. are still looking for more pitching depth and continue to be in the market for a backup catcher.

Of course, there should be movement on the free-agent market over the next week or so. While there will be players who are left over once camp starts, a handful likely want to have their statuses resolved this month.

1 former Astos player who might be close to returning

Scouring through the free-agent market, there's plenty of former Astros available. While most don't exactly make sense for a reunion, there is one return that feels almost inevitable at this point.

Christian Vázquez

The Astros are looking for an experienced backup catcher, and Christian Vázquez offers some familiarity at the position. Considering his recent struggles with the Minnesota Twins, Vázquez is one of the most affordable moves that Houston can make before the start of the season, and for those reasons, a return feels inevitable.

3 ex-Astros still jobless before spring training gets underway

Then there are former Astros still available that many fans would love to have back, but for a variety of reasons, it's hard to see that happening.

Framber Valdez

Framber Valdez's free agency is playing out as one would expect, considering how his tenure in Houston ended. Valdez intentionally crossed up his catcher, and that was after calling out the Astros' coaching staff in the months before. His market has stalled, and he almost certainly won't land the contract that was projected at the start of the offseason.

Justin Verlander

The fact that the Houston Astros haven't brought back Justin Verlander yet is probably a sign that there isn't much interest in a reunion. Sure, it would be a storybook ending to Verlander's career, but it's not the move for this current iteration of the Astros. The Astros seem more invested in low-risk gambles, and Verlander should look to pitch for a true contender one last time.

Ramón Urías

When the Astros added Ramón Urías at the trade deadline last July, the idea was that he could a versatile bench piece in the way that he was with the Baltimore Orioles. That isn't exactly how it played out, considering Houston already had Mauricio Dubon on their roster. Urías quickly fell out of favor, and his struggles to close out the season have led to his market stalling this winter.