Astros latest minor league signing is pure fan service and nothing more

The Houston Astros have been in search of a left-handed hitter this offseason, and at first glance, that could be used to explain why the Astros felt compelled to sign Cavan Biggio to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. The name Biggio is synonymous with Houston, so the signing was naturally going to turn heads among Astros fans.

Between the start of spring training and Opening Day, rosters can be a revolving door. There's almost never anything wrong with a team taking out a lottery ticket on a veteran that was stuck on the free-agent market, but signing Biggio feels like the Astros trying to look for a cheap PR win with their fanbase.

No one is buying the idea that Biggio can be the left-handed hitter who provides balance to the team's starting lineup. The biggest reason why Biggio has bounced between three teams over the last two seasons is that his offensive production leaves much to be desired.

In 37 games with the Kansas City Royals last year, the 30-year-old infielder slashed .174/.296/.246 with a wRC+ of 59. Biggio has only registered a wRC+ over 100 once in the last five years.

Astros signing of Cavan Biggio was nothing more than a nostalgia play for the fanbase

Setting Biggio's offensive shortcomings to the side, the Astros were also determined to improve their defense this offseason. Beyond saving money, it was the reason they targeted Nick Allen from the Atlanta Braves in the trade of Mauricio Dubón.

Allen is a clear defensive advantage for the Astros, but the same can't be said for Biggio. His Baseball Savant page is dripping blue when it comes to his defensive metrics, and FanGraphs placed a negative value on his defense in each of the last three years.

In other words, Biggio is not an offensive fit for what the Astros need and is far from the defensive improvement Houston was seeking at the start of the offseason. Not to mention, depth isn't the problem for the Astros' infield.

From a baseball perspective, there was very little justification for the Astros to bring in Biggio. Which is why it feels cheap to turn to Craig Biggio's son as a way to drum up fan interest.

If the Astros were entering the 2026 season as a clear favorite in the American League, no one would have batted an eye at Biggio's arrival. Instead, they just added to their roster confusion in a move that was purely fan service.