Astros still need a lefty bat, but this recently DFA’d outfielder isn’t the answer

The Houston Astros' quest for a left-handed bat last season led them to trade for Jesus Sanchez at the trade deadline in hopes that he would soften the blow from the loss of Yordan Alvarez. However, that is decidedly not what happened as Sanchez only managed a .191/.269/.342 line, including four homers after the trade. Sanchez may have survived the recent non-tender deadline, but it is clear that Houston is still looking for a lefty bat going into the offseason.

Assuming Alvarez is healthy at the start of the 2026 season, the urgency to find left-handed help is lessened somewhat. However, this is still an unbalanced Astros lineup at the moment, and finding an adequate replacement for Sanchez's at-bats in the outfield would go a long way towards Houston getting back to the playoffs.

Well, one recently non-tendered player that, on paper, could work is former A's outfielder JJ Bleday, as Bleacher Report recently floated as a possibility. However, a closer look suggests that if Houston is serious about addressing that lineup, it needs to look elsewhere instead of Bleday.

JJ Bleday may seem like an interesting Astros target, but he isn't worth the risk

As a former fourth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, Bleday's upside has always been present and could be appealing under the right conditions. Drafted out of Vanderbilt, Bleday was lauded for his approach at the plate, intriguing physical tools, and being an advanced hitter overall. If that was true of Bleday now, then yeah...the Astros should be all over him.

The problem is that he is not. Yes, he does have a strong throwing arm, does draw walks, and doesn't chase out of the zone much, but that is pretty much where the good news ends. In over 1,500 plate appearances in the big leagues, Bleday has only managed a .702 OPS while hitting just .215 and providing below-average to terrible defense in the outfield (-8 OAA in 2025). All of that and more led the A's to non-tender Bleday last week, and few blamed them for that decision.

Now, if the Astros are sure that they could make an adjustment to Bleday's swing or something and he would sign for cheap, then yeah...take a shot on him. However, if it would require an actual investment and/or be the Astros' only left-handed option they added this offseason, that would very likely be a pretty significant miscalculation.