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The offseason is pretty much over with now and the Houston Astros are a very different baseball team than the one they ended the 2024 season with. Gone are Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, Ryan Pressly, and Yusei Kikuchi among others, and Houston added Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes to the big league roster. That's quite the overhaul.
Like most contending teams, there are no obvious and prominent roster decisions that the Astros have to make this spring. Most of the roster spots, at least to start the season, are pretty well set and it's just a matter of sorting out the fringes of the Astros roster.
Projecting the Astros' 2025 Opening Day roster
While the bulk of the Astros' roster building is pretty much done, they still have some things to decide in camp. The bullpen appears to be a pretty open competition after the first five names or so, the last rotation spot could be up for grabs, and the bench appears to be debatable. Here is a look at our first Opening Day roster projection for 2025.
Astros Opening Day Position Players
- Catcher: Yainer Diaz, Victor Caratini
- First Base: Christian Walker
- Second Base: Jose Altuve
- Shortstop: Jeremy Peña
- Third Base: Isaac Paredes
- Outfield: Jake Meyers, Chas McCormick, Ben Gamel, Taylor Trammell
- Designated Hitter: Yordan Alvarez
- Bench: Mauricio Dubon, Jon Singleton
For the moment, let's assume that Altuve will start the season at second base before any transition to the outfield happens. With Bregman out of the picture, Houston shouldn't be in a rush to make the move and can give Altuve plenty of work out there before deciding whether or not to pull the trigger.
The two spots to keep an eye on are the outfield — which looks rough — and the last bench spot. The Astros will keep Singleton for now given that Houston really wants some left-handed pop on their roster, but he is very expendable.
The outfield looks very sketchy. Dubon is an important consideration given that he is going to play a lot and the outfield. That said, Zach Dezenzo and Jacob Melton should get a long look this spring as both Meyers and McCormick have some question marks.
Astros Opening Day Rotation
- Framber Valdez, LHP
- Hunter Brown, RHP
- Ronel Blanco, RHP
- Spencer Arrighetti, RHP
- Hayden Wesneski, RHP
Valdez is the only lefty which isn't ideal, but the first four names here are virtually etched in stone. Wesneski could get pressed in camp by guys like Miguel Ullola, AJ Blubaugh, or Colton Gordon, but he does seem to have the inside track for the No. 5 spot at the moment. Until Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia return from injury, this is likely what Houston's rotation will look like.
Astros Opening Day Bullpen
- Josh Hader, LHP (closer)
- Bryan Abreu, RHP
- Forrest Whitley, RHP
- Rafael Montero, RHP
- Tayler Scott, RHP
- Kaleb Ort, RHP
- Bryan King, LHP
- Miguel Ullola, RHP
Losing Pressly is a big deal, but the late innings appear to be in good hands with Hader and Abreu closing games out. This will be Whitley's last chance to prove he's healthy and can contribute in the big leagues and we'll wager he looks good enough in spring to get that shot.
Montero is owed too much money to leave off the roster, and King is a lefty which will keep him safe for now. While Shawn Dubin is probably a safer bet to make Houston's Opening Day roster, Ullola should get a long look in the pen. A starter in the minors, Ullola has big-time strikeout stuff with command issues that could play better in a relief role. The fact that he can throw multiple innings would be a massive help early on as the starters get stretched out and the Astros' injured arms return.