Astros pending free agents: Who should stay, who should go

The Houston Astros' disappointing season should be met with significant roster change. They have six players who are about to enter free agency and they have club options on two others. Here is where they should stand:

The Free Agents:

1) RP Bryan Abreu: It is expected that Abreu will look for an opportunity to close on the open market. Despite his early season struggles, Abreu's track record suggests that he will get a multi-year deal to be some team's closer for 2027. Abreu posted a 2.19 ERA from May 1 on, and his 80K in 62.2 IP overall is still a very strong strikeout rate.

Most Likely Outcome: The only way Abreu is back in Houston is if he is willing to stay in the setup role for at least 2 more years and is willing to take setup money rather than closer money. It would be hard to imagine the Astros giving him the kind of AAV on a deal like they once did Rafael Montero, and it would be harder to see Abreu taking only a 3 year deal. Abreu is going to walk.

2) RP Steven Okert: Okert established himself as the "stopper" this season, with manager Joe Espada turning to Okert anytime he needed to kill an opposing rally. Okert showed he could come in to any situation, any inning, against any batter, and he would slam the door. Unfortunately, Okert's season ended September 4 due to a hamstring injury, but he should be a full go for 2027.

Most Likely Outcome: Okert earned $2.325M in his final year of arbitration. He is also 35 years old. While the age isn't necessarily that big a deal for a reliever, it does weaken his bargaining power. Even at double his salary next year, Okert is a valuable piece of the Astros should retain for next year.

3) CF Daulton Varsho: Varsho was nothing short of a disaster once arriving in Houston, and it turned out he was actually damaged goods. Varsho had surgery to remove a painful cyst in his wrist, and he should be a full go for 2027. But his performance at the plate in 2026 for Houston was abysmal, batting just .172 with a .535 OPS. Varsho has been a poor hitter his whole career, and holds a career .226 AVG, .293 OBP and .709 OPS. His value lies in his glove as he enters his age 30 season.

Most Likely Outcome: a low average, low on-base hitter who plays strong defense, Varsho is simply Jake Meyers with slightly more power. There is no need to bring a player like that back when they already have similar players with greater upside in the minors. Varsho made $10.75M in his final year of arbitration last season, which would make him a massive no.

4) C Christian Vazquez: Vazquez got off to a hot start at the plate and then quickly faded as his underlying metrics indicated he would. He's not as good a defender as he once was, but pitchers do like him and respect his game preparation. He is a 36 year old backup catcher with absolutely no bat.

Most Likely Outcome: The Astros only signed Vazquez late in spring because they didn't trust Cesar Salazar to be able to handle backup catching duties, and that he would be a major liability as a starter if Yainer Diaz were to get hurt. Diaz did get hurt, and Vazquez had to handle much of the catching duties for the six weeks Diaz missed. Vazquez was a massive liability himself. The Astros should have no interest in bringing him back with Jason Schiavone and Walker Janek being close to MLB ready.

5) RP Enyel De Los Santos: De Los Santos followed up a mediocre season a year ago with a worse one in 2026. When he's going well, he's terrific. When he isn't going well, he's pretty bad. The problem is there is more bad than good. He finished the season with a 4.79 ERA. He has also been homer prone since arriving in Houston, having allowed a whopping 16 HR in 93.2 IP over his year and a half with the Astros.

Most Likely Outcome: There is no reason to keep a below average 31 year old reliever when you already have better option in your own system in Logan VanWey, Miguel Ullola, and Roddery Munoz. We will wish De Los Santos the best of luck in his future endeavors.

6) OF LaMonte Wade Jr. : Late night LaMonte has a couple of moments for the Astros this season. Unfortunately that was all he had. The soon-to-be 33 year old has less than exciting numbers as an Astro, with a .205 batting average and .655 OPS. His .308 OBP reflects a strong walk rate, but his poor hitting prevents him from being effective enough to be a MLB regular. It was just 2 seasons ago that Wade Jr. had posted back to back 120 OPS+ seasons in San Francisco spanning 920 PA.

Most Likely Outcome: Wade signed with the Astros for just $1.5M, so it stands to reason he would come cheaply on a deal for 2027. He is lacking as a defensive outfielder. Again, the Astros have better options already in house in the outfield and their most pressing OF position will be CF, which is not a position Wade can handle. Thank you for your service, LaMonte, we wish you the best wherever you play next season. It shouldn't be in Houston.

The Club Options:

1) SP Ryan Weiss: After a tremendous career in the KBO, Weiss came back to the US this season in Houston with hopes of being part of the rebuilt rotation. Weiss was a disaster from the start. The 29 year old couldn't throw strikes, and when he did he couldn't keep the ball in the yard. He posted a 7.62 ERA in 26 IP for Houston, with a 2.115 WHIP (that's crazy high). He allowed 8 HR and walked 20 in those 26 innings. He then posted a 5.42 ERA for Triple-A Sugar Land.

Most Likely Outcome: The Astros hold a $5M club option with a $500K buyout. They will happily write the $500K check.

2) 3B Isaac Paredes: I know I don't have to write a blurb on Paredes for any Astros fan, as Paredes has become a fan favorite and one of the key offensive cogs on the team.

Guaranteed Outcome: Astros will pick up his $13.35M club option in his final year of arbitration and work on a long-term deal with him this offseason.

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