Astros insider hints that Houston’s clogged infield situation could lead to familiar drama

One of the frustrating things for a sports fan is when a team clearly doesn't learn from past failings. That's what we're at with the Houston Astros and the consequences of the infield logjam today. By all accounts, they're motivated to clear out the glut even with Opening Day fast approaching.

There are several reasons why this is imperative. First, while everyone has said the right things publicly, we're talking about a group of accomplished veteran players. As Christian Walker said, he wants to play every day. He's certainly not alone.

On top of that, dealing with the surplus could help address a terrible, double-sided weakness. There is a lot of uncertainty in the Astros outfield, and no legitimate left-handed hitter other than Yordan Alvarez in the lineup. Swapping an infielder for a lefty outfield bat would kill three birds with one stone.

The pressure is mounting for Dana Brown to solve this conundrum, and time is running out. Unfortunately, the rest of the league knows this, too, and it's nerfed Brown's leverage in negotiations.

The most frustrating part of it all is that we saw what this was like when the Astros signed Josh Hader and displaced Ryan Pressly from the closer role, and even with that past experience, they went out and committed the same error when they operated out of desperation and traded for Carlos Correa at last year's deadline.

Failing to resolve the Astros' infield situation before Opening Day could lead to a repeat of the Ryan Pressly drama from 2024

Pressly said all of the right things when the Astros signed Hader to a massive $95 million contract ahead of the 2024 season. He was a consummate pro, just as Isaac Paredes, Walker, and Correa have been throughout the spring.

Behind the scenes, though, Brown acknowledged that the relationship with Pressly was fractured. The culmination was a nasty divorce where Pressly briefly used his no-trade clause to hold the team hostage before acquiescing to the trade that sent him to Chicago. All Houston got back was pitching prospect Juan Bello, who isn't even in the club's top 30.

The dirty little secret is that while Isaac Paredes is presumed to be the odd man out, he's a better player than Walker or Correa are at this point in their careers. He's better than Jose Altuve, too. However, unless something drastically changes, he'll be sitting on the bench more often than his aging teammates, wasting the prime of his career and his earning potential when he hits free agency after next season.

Even the most level-headed professionals would start to feel a sense of resentment deep down if being treated that way.

The resolution might be to sell off an asset, most likely Paredes, at a below-market price. Doing so will sting, but it will hurt less than a fractured locker room would.

More importantly, maybe this time the Astros will learn their lesson. This whole debacle exists because Paredes got hurt last season, and they traded for Correa to fill in. The problem is, Correa has a nearly immovable, bloated contract that runs through at least 2028.

Trading for a difference maker at the hot corner in light of Paredes' injury made sense. Trading for one who is locked up long-term and is declining made a lot less sense. Maybe next time, they'll exercise some restraint and think about the present and the future when making moves like this. If not, Houston will continue to find itself in these sticky situations.