Astros need to strongly consider making an upgrade at shortstop this offseason

All of the sudden, Major League Baseball is flooded with elite shortstops. Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, and Bobby Witt Jr. all come to mind. Of course, Francisco Lindor is having an MVP-type season for the New York Mets, and old friend Carlos Correa is still one of the best in the game.

But the Houston Astros are lacking in that department. While it's hard to forget the exploits of Jeremy Peña during the Astros' run to the World Series Championship in 2022, the fanbase has seen enough lately to question whether or not they jumped the gun. Peña certainly isn't elite, and some may question whether he's even good.

That may seem like a rather harsh criticism, but the numbers bear it out. Peña doesn't strike out much, but he doesn't walk a lot either. Peña's on-base percentage has always lagged behind, and he ranks 11th on the team in that category at just .307 this season.

Astros need to strongly consider making an upgrade at shortstop this offseason

Peña had 22 round-trippers during his rookie season in 2022, but since then, his power has dropped significantly. Peña's posted 25 home runs combined the past two seasons and has a collective slugging percentage of just .390. A 98 OPS+ from 2023 to present is hardly good enough to consider Peña irreplaceable. In fact, perhaps the Astros should be looking to make an upgrade at shortstop this offseason.

Looking internally, top infield prospect Brice Matthews is certainly an option — and a cheap one. Matthews has rocketed up through Houston's farm system, and now, at Triple-A Sugar Land, is knocking on the major league door. Matthews has a combined .935 OPS this season with 15 home runs.

But there are many scouts who fail to see Matthews sticking at shortstop over the long haul. Matthews has started 41 games at short and another 17 at third base in 2024. With Alex Bregman's future very much up in the air, Houston may decide to push Matthews to the hot corner and upgrade the shortstop position through free agency or a trade.

The open market will see the likes of Willy Adames, Amed Rosario, and Paul DeJong this winter. Not exactly a plethora of talent. Houston could always look to trade for a shortstop, but their lowly farm system lacks the name recognition necessary to pry a top young player away from another club. But there may be a top young prospect ready to push a veteran off the roster. That's definitely an avenue Astros GM Dana Brown should investigate.

Though the options aren't great, neither is the prospect of keeping Peña as the Astros' primary shortstop. According to FanGraphs, Peña is worth -1 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -4 outs above average (OAA). Peña's defense, and overall play, has taken a major step back this season, and it may well be his final season as the Astros' starting shortstop.

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