Astros outfield need is obvious but solution may disappoint fans

The Houston Astros are running out of time to address the need general manager Dana Brown hasn't shied away from talking about during spring training. Opening Day is next week, and while Brown has maintained that the Astros are in the market for a left-handed hitting outfielder, it seems unlikely that a trade will take place in the coming days.

If the Astros were going to cross that item off their shopping list, it felt like a trade with the Boston Red Sox would have been the likeliest outcome. The Astros have been connected to Red Sox outfielders Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida, but for varying reasons, it's hard to see a trade materialize at this point in spring training.

That doesn't mean there won't be tinkering with the roster. If the Astros are serious about contending in 2026, there need to be some tinkering. The problem is that the solution isn't one that Astros fans are going to like.

Astros need an outfielder, but their next roster move will likely leave fans begging for more

We've reached the part of spring training where teams need to keep an eye on veteran players with opt-out clauses. In other words, there's going to be a handful of non-roster invites across baseball that become free once it becomes clear they won't be on their respective team's Opening Day roster.

For better or worse, that feels like the solution that is in front of the Astros. It's not as appealing as trading for a high-upside outfielder like one of the Boston outfielders they were connected to, but it doesn't mean they can't find a diamond in the rough.

The name to keep an eye on is Mike Tauchman of the New York Mets. Tauchman signed a minor-league deal with the Mets at the start of spring training, but he can exercise his opt-out clause on March 25. As things currently stand, there's a decent chance that Tauchman is squeezed out of the Mets' plans.

Most importantly, Tauchman is the left-handed bat that the Astros have been looking for over the past few years, but there's reason to believe he could be a valuable addition to the roster. Injuries limited him to just 93 games with the Chicago White Sox last year, but he posted a wRC+ of 115. His previous two years with the Chicago Cubs also confirm the value he has as a left-handed bat in the outfield, 108 wRC+ and 110 wRC+, respectively.

Tauchman may not be the most appealing answer for the Astros, but knocking on the door of Opening Day, they could do far worse.