Jeff Passan's offseason prediction for Rangers could quietly help Astros

While the Houston Astros have no shortage of problems facing them this offseason, if the goal is for them to return to the playoffs in 2026, they must keep an eye on the moves being made within their division.

After all, the Seattle Mariners were a game away from the World Series, and the Texas Rangers, backed by a former National League Manager of the Year in Skip Schumaker, could find themselves back in the conversation of contention.

ESPN's Jeff Passan made an offseason prediction for the Rangers, and it feels like the Astros could quietly benefit from it. Passan points to Texas being a team willing to take a gamble on Japanese third baseman Munetaka Murakami, suggesting the Rangers could also hope their offense returns to form after struggling in 2025.

The Rangers' signing Munetaka Murakami would be a blessing in disguise for the Houston Astros

Murakami's power numbers in Japan will likely have teams salivating at what he can do at the Major League level. Murakami has made a habit of hitting at least 30 home runs in each season he's played, and only 25 years old, will be an intriguing target for any team in need of power this offseason.

The issue is that Murakami's current swing profile has a major hole that will likely be exposed by Major League pitching. He can't hit power pitching. In the NPB last season, Murakami hit under .100 against pitchers 93 mph or higher.

With velocity being the trend for pitching in the majors, the Rangers signing a player who can't hit high velocity would seem to be a problem. If anything, it would make an even stronger case for the Astros to find a way to land Dylan Cease this offseason.

And, to be clear, because of the power potential, signing Murakami could cost the Rangers as much as $160 million. For a team with aging veterans making a lot of money, chasing more bad money doesn't seem like the smartest option for Texas. Then again, for the Astros, it may make their path back to the playoffs easier.