Altered contract stance makes Astros' free agent target even more appealing

Although the Houston Astros traded Kyle Tucker and likely won't re-sign Alex Bregman, they could still look to add further star-power this offseason. According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, Anthony Santander is among current free agents considering the possibility of signing a short-term contract, via Nick Deeds of MLB Trade Rumors.

Players often look to sign short-term contracts in hopes of having a big season and landing a longer deal in the following offseason. However, Santander is fresh off a career year. One would have thought that he would be trying to land a longer contract this season. Perhaps the former Baltimore Orioles outfielder simply has not received the offer he was initially looking for.

Santander was selected to his first career MLB All-Star Game in 2024, per Baseball Reference. He even finished 14th in American League MVP voting after crushing 44 home runs and recording 102 RBI. He ended up with a final slash line of .235/.308/.506/.814. Although Santander was inconsistent at times, there is no denying his intriguing power potential from the left side of the plate.

At 30 years old, Santander would have likely signed a long-term deal had he received a tempting enough offer. He must not have received it yet, though, hence the short-term contract appeal rumors.

Astros' free agent target Anthony Santander

The Astros should absolutely try to sign Anthony Santander to a short-term contract.

If Houston finds a way to play a competitive brand of baseball, then Santander will play a crucial role in their success. The Astros can keep him throughout the season in hopes of making a deep postseason run.

If the Astros struggle in 2025, though, Santander could be a trade candidate at the mid-season deadline. Whether the Astros sign him to a one, two or three year contract, as it likely won't be more than that given the short-term element, trading him in July would catch opposing teams' attention.

Signing Santander makes plenty of sense for the Astros right now. Houston's situation is currently uncertain so there aren't many players who are perfect fits at the moment. Signing a superstar to a multi-year contract extension would be risky given Houston's potential rebuild. However, going all in on a rebuild is also risky since Houston may find a way to compete.

As a result, adding a player like Santander would give the Astros multiple options depending on the team's performance.