5 former Astros players still without a job heading toward Spring Training

This has been a weird offseason not just for the Houston Astros, but for the entire league. After Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto finally signed, most observers thought that the floodgates would open up and fans would see a slew of free agent signings before the New Year. However, instead we have been treated to a trickle of moves with major deals being few and far between.

A big portion of the explanation of the slow pace this offseason has been due to Scott Boras and his willingness to hold out for the most money humanly possible. He is extremely good at his job, but things can move extremely deliberately when he holds the bulk of the top guys still available. That, in turn, freezes the rest of the market and turns the offseason into a staring contest.

It isn't just the Astros' 2024 plans that are impacted. In fact, an entire host of former Astros players currently sit in limbo waiting to sign their next deals. Here is a look at a few of them from the Astros' 2023, roster as well as some familiar faces who left Houston a bit longer ago.

5 former Astros still waiting in MLB Free Agency

Ryne Stanek

Free agency this offseason absolutely ravaged the Astros' bullpen going into 2024. While the losses of Hector Neris and Phil Maton get the most attention, it wasn't that long ago that some thought that the Astros needed to keep reliever Ryne Stanek around for the long haul.

Coming off his 2022 season when he posted a 1.15 ERA in 59 appearances, many openly wondered if Stanek was more deserving of the deal that Rafael Montero ended up signing before the 2023 season. Stanek came back to earth in 2023, and very little has been mentioned at all about where he could end up next year beyond a reunion with the Astros being unlikely.

Hector Neris

The biggest name to leave the Astros after the 2023 season and hit free agency was Hector Neris, who opted out of his $8.5 million player option for 2024. Neris was an absolute workhorse during his two seasons with Houston and his 2023 season, where he posted a 1.71 ERA in 71 appearances, has him looking for a massive deal for a reliever this offseason that he probably won't be able to find.

While the deal that Neris is hoping for may not materialize, there are plenty of teams in on him, with at least the Yankees and Rangers keeping close tabs on him in recent days. Houston did reach out early in the offseason about the possibility of a reunion, but nothing really came of it.

Yuli Gurriel

Over the course of Yuli Gurriel's seven seasons with the Astros, he averaged a .284/.328/.448 slash line and won a Gold Glove in 2021. His best year was 2019 where he posted an .884 OPS with 31 homers, but his time with Houston came to an end after the 2022 season when he signed a one-year deal with the Marlins ... where he posted a .663 OPS in 2023.

At 39 years old, Gurriel's playing days appear to be winding down, as he has shown noticeable signs of declining the last two seasons. However, assuming he is willing to sign on a relatively cheap deal, Gurriel has already drawn interest from some teams for next season and appears likely to play for at least one more year.