Kazuma Okamoto decision may quietly reshape Astros offseason plans

The last thing the Houston Astros need is another infielder. As such, Astros fans shouldn't expect their favorite team to be among those bidding on free agent third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. The Japanese slugger was posted earlier this offseason, and teams have until January 4th to negotiate a deal. At the moment, the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Los Angeles Angels are all said to have varying levels of interest in signing Okamoto.

But while the Astros aren't expected to be among the suitors for Okamoto's services, the fallout could greatly impact Houston heading into the new year. Though it's not yet known how many teams are in the hunt, once Okamoto signs, those who missed out will need a Plan B. That's precisely how the Astros could fit into the equation.

Okamoto is a third baseman — though most MLB experts assume he'll eventually be moved to first base — and the Astros should be looking to offload at least one of their corner infielders this offseason.

Kazuma Okamoto decision could help the Astros offload Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker

Given the team's current roster construction, manager Joe Espada will have a whale of a time getting all his stars into the lineup with regularity. Jeremy Peña and Jose Altuve will be in the lineup every day, as will Yordan Alvarez. After adding Carlos Correa at last year's trade deadline, third base is on lockdown.

At the moment, one would have to assume that Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes would share first base and DH duties, but that's hardly a desirable option with Zach Dezenzo, Brice Matthews, and Jesús Sanchez on the roster as well. In short, the Astros roster is a mess.

While fans would prefer to see the Astros part ways with Walker and the remaining $40 million on the contract he signed just last winter, Houston is bound to have more suitors for Paredes. Houston would have to eat a good portion of Walker's salary in order to complete a trade, but that's unquestionably the route the Astros would prefer. If they're still in search of starting pitching, however, sacrificing Paredes may be the simplest solution and would bring back the best return.

Astros fans have endured a rather quiet (and disappointing) offseason. But after Okamoto signs, the trade chatter throughout H-Town could pick up.