6 former Astros players that Houston could reunite with this offseason

Martin Maldonado

Martin Maldonado was a fine player for a long time with the Astros and no one should argue otherwise. Maldy never could hit much, but his management of the pitching staff and defensive ability ability more than made up for that....until last season. In 2023, not only did Maldonado's offense continue to dip, but his defensive acumen left him as well which resulted in one of the worst seasons in all of MLB.

When Maldonado hit free agency and Yainer Diaz was declared the every day catcher, it was good news all around. The problem now is that Houston needs a backup catcher and one option that has been repeatedly floated around is the Astros bringing Maldy back. There certainly better options available at the moment on the free agent market when it comes to backup catchers, but don't underestimate the Astros' inability to quit Maldonado.

Phil Maton

While Hector Neris hitting free agency got the most press (more on him in a moment), losing Phil Maton as a free agent was no small loss for the Astros' bullpen. After a couple mediocre stints with the Guardians and Padres, Maton really found himself in Houston. Over the last two seasons, Maton has posted a 3.42 ERA while striking out 10 batters per nine innings pitched. While he isn't the guy you would prefer to use in high leverage situation, Maton excels as a 6th/7th inning guy that is dependable.

The good news for Houston is that there is still a chance Maton could return. While the Mets have already been rumored to have their eye on Maton for their bullpen and there are almost certainly several other teams in the running, Maton's asking price isn't likely to be beyond what Houston could do this offseason. Given his success with the Astros, a reunion makes a ton of sense even if such a move only starts to get the Houston bullpen back to even with 2023.