Astros’ big moves setting the stage for top prospect to finally get MLB opportunity

The Houston Astros certainly have made waves this offseason. While they may have entered the offseason with re-signing Alex Bregman as their priority, what has actually happened has been decidedly different. Not only did they trade away Kyle Tucker for what would turn out to be Bregman's probable replacement(s), but they then went out and signed first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year deal.

That is a lot of change to process. Isaac Paredes will likely slot in at third base most of the time and Walker will be Houston's every day first baseman. However, the Astros' outfield now looks like a clear liability with the subtraction of Tucker. Giving Mauricio Dubón regularly playing time out there helps soften the blow, but the duo of Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers leaves a lot to be desired.

Houston understands that they will need to shore up their outfield production in 2025, as Dana Brown already commented on it earlier this offseason. Now that Tucker is gone and the bulk of the money the Astros had to spend is now departed, too, it feels like the organization could turn to top prospect Jacob Melton as a solution.

Astros could turn to top prospect Jacob Melton to solve their outfield troubles

As much as Brown wants to talk up McCormick, emphasizing that he just had a down year, the fact remains that Meyers posted just a 86 wRC+ last season and McCormick was somehow worse than that, with a 66 wRC+ in 267 plate appearances while dealing with injuries off and on. That level of offense from Houston's outfield isn't gonna cut it, especially with Tucker gone.

This is where Melton, who was the Astros' top prospect before they acquired Cam Smith in the Tucker deal, comes into play. Melton can play all three outfield positions and has a rare combination of speed and power that is frankly reminiscent of Tucker's toolset. Melton dealt with some injury issues last season, and his .736 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024 wasn't great, but he still managed to hit 15 homers and steal 30 bases in 105 games.

Given the Astros' stated desire to contend in 2025 and beyond, relying on a rookie that doesn't have a surefire track record in the minors like Melton is risky. However, the Astros may not have any other choice, given that most of the desirable free agent outfielders either have new teams already and/or are going to cost too much for Houston's liking. Given Melton's upside in the outfield, the Astros could do a lot worse.

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