Astros just got a painful reminder of the signing they skipped this offseason

On Tuesday, the Houston Astros got an up-close and personal view of the type of player they'd been targeting all winter. Unfortunately, he was playing for the other team. During a Grapefruit League game against the New York Mets, outfielder Mike Tauchman launched a three-run home run onto the berm in right field, and it was a stark reminder of what the Astros are missing.

Houston's front office did a nice job of prioritizing pitching during the offseason, but GM Dana Brown and Astros decision-makers failed time and time again to bring in any sort of a left-handed bat.

Some Astros fans will argue that the team's trade with the Blue Jays enabled them to add Joey Loperfido, but in order to do so, Houston had to sacrifice another left-handed bat in Jesús Sanchez. There's now no other left-handed free agent hitters to speak of — unless they want to take a flier on a player like Alex Verdugo of Jesse Winker — and one has wonder if Houston will (once again) enter the season without any pop from the left side of the plate.

Astros should've signed Mike Tauchman when they had the chance

Tauchman was there for the taking. The veteran is 35 years old and is the definition of a journeyman. While he found some success with his hometown teams in the city of Chicago over the last three seasons, Tauchman wasn't going to cost an arm and leg on the open market.

In fact, the Mets signed him to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. If he breaks camp with the big-league ball club, he'll earn less than $2 million. That's certainly a number Houston could've afforded.

Houston's lineup isn't devoid of a left-handed presence. Obviously Astros fans are counting on Yordan Alvarez to be a key piece of the team's success this season, but Loperfido, Zach Cole, and Cesar Salazar are all role players and could occupy a spot on the bench most nights.

Tauchman isn't a star, and could fall of favor with the Mets in a matter of weeks. But his home run during Tuesday's game was a reminder of just how poorly Brown and Co. have handled this offseason. Starting pitching, a backup catcher, and a left-handed bat were all professed priorities for Houston. The season is set to begin a month, and they've only checked one of those boxes.