3 moves Astros can make to capture wide open AL after Dodgers sign Roki Sasaki

The Astros were never in on the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes; however, his decision had a profound impact on Houston's ability to stake their claim atop the American League again. While it seemed like a foregone conclusion (and still seems like some sort of pre-arranged handshake agreement was made) the Roki Sasaki decision sure dragged itself out and stole the headlines the last couple of weeks.

Team by team, Sasaki slowly eliminated rivals of the Astros and teams that could get in the way of Houston claiming another ALCS. Teams like the Yankees and Rangers were eliminated just days before his final decision while the Mariners just sat idly by watching as everyone else tries to get better. The two finalists were the Dodgers and Blue Jays... sorry Toronto, but that wasn't happening.

The fact that this was such a unique free agent, though, made it even more intriguing that the Blue Jays were a finalist. Luckily for the Astros, Sasaki made the decision everyone knew was coming for months and headed to the National League with the Dodgers, joining former teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

While this upsets a lot of fans around baseball, this opens up the door for Houston to retake their spot atop the American League. They still have the talent, despite the loss of Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, but a few more moves and they could land as the favorites for the ALCS.

3 moves Astros can make to capture wide open AL after Dodgers sign Roki Sasaki

Sign Anthony Santander

The most obvious fit here is Anthony Santander roaming the outfield at Daikan Park (formerly Minute-Maid Park). Santander and the Astros fit like a glove and his presence in the middle of this lineup with Alvarez, Paredes, Walker and Diaz would prove to be a top tier unit in the AL. Their outfield could potentially be one of the worst in baseball right now, so signing someone like Santander would go a long way in improving this roster.

Santander is coming off a career year, slashing .235/.308/.506 with 44 home runs and 102 RBI. He spent time in right field and first base, potentially giving Joe Espada a little bit of flexibility. One would think that this career year would have him primed for a massive, long-term deal, however, recent reports suggest that Santander may have changed his tone on the type of deal he is expecting, potentially opening the door for Houston. Adding Santander to the middle of this lineup would immediately put Houston back into discussion for favorites to win the American League.

Sign a high-leverage bullpen arm

While all of the moves Houston has made this offseason have been centered around the offense (other than the sneaky addition of Hayden Wesneski in the Kyle Tucker trade), the bullpen has become one of the more overlooked needs for this team heading into 2025.

The bullpen is actually a pretty good one, headlined by Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly. However, a lack of depth could really hurt this team come the dog days of summer. They need to add another arm to this group; whether that is a high leverage arm to push some guys down a rung or two or just signing a really good sixth or seventh inning guy is up for debate.

Carlos Estevez has established himself as one of the more dominant, yet underrated bullpen arms in the game. Coming off a year in which he threw 55 innings with a 2.45 ERA, he could be fairly expensive. Spotrac has his market value at $14 million a year over three years. Houston might be reluctant to do that, but Estevez is the type of move that you won't be regretting come September and October.

Kirby Yates had one of the best seasons we have seen from a reliever in recent years (61.2 innings, 1.17 ERA, 12.4 K/9). This earned him an eighth-place finish in the Cy Young voting. At 38-years-old. he shouldn't command more than a one-year deal, but it could be nearly double what Spotrac has his market value at ($6 million).

Bring in some outfield depth

This team doesn't have a ton of holes to fill. Outside of needing a premier outfield bat, they could potentially use some depth. As things currently stand, the outfield is Jake Meyers, Chas McCormick and Yordan Alvarez, with Taylor Trammell and Mauricio Dubon as the next options. This shouldn't inspire a ton of confidence.

Assuming Houston adds an everyday type of left-handed bat (or switch-hitter like Santander), adding depth behind them should be a major priority. It is an addition that would help the depth of this team dramatically.

Identifying the outfielder that fits this is a difficult task, but a familiar face in Jason Heyward would be a smart move. The veteran plays great defense, while providing a great presence in the locker room.

While Heyward's fit is obvious, Houston could opt for someone with more offensive upside. Randal Grichuk may seem redundant as a right-handed bat, but his 139 wRC+ in 2024 and 101 wRC+ in 2023 with 28 home runs over the last two years could be a massive addition as a rotational fourth outfielder.