Winter Meeting Wishlist: What We'd Love to See out of the Houston Astros this Week

Trade for Bryan Reynolds

In a hardly shocking, but still shockwave inducing move, Bryan Reynolds has requested a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In case you're unfamiliar with Reynolds' game, here are the numbers he put up last season:

This coming in a "down" year. Switch-hitting center fielders with a career .842 OPS don't grow on trees. Ones with three-years of team control are even more rare.

Do the Astros have the farm system to pull off such a move? Who can say. But their last trade with Pittsburgh worked out quite well...

Pittsburgh likely has no interest in moving Reynolds, but they also have a propensity for not paying their stars. With the right offer, he's likely on the move. With the rest of baseball desperate to catch Houston, it would hardly be stunning to see the Mets, Padres, Dodgers or Yankees go all-in to try and land Reynolds. Why not push the chasm even wider?

Reynolds hit .262 with an .807 OPS last season in a lineup offering him virtually no protection. Now imagine slotting him between say Tucker, Alvarez and Bregman. Not that Yordan and Tucker have struggled left-on-left anyways, but opposing managers would be incapable of navigating that lineup late in games with their bullpen.

In landing Reynolds, we'd likely see Chas slide to Left Field, a place where he has seen a decent amount of time. If Houston were to trot out this lineup on Opening Day, it would rival the 2019 lineup as one of the best in MLB History:

1) 2B Jose Altuve
2) CF Bryan Reynolds
3) DH Yordan Alvarez
4) 3B Alex Bregman
5) RF Kyle Tucker
6) 1B Jose Abreu
7) SS Jeremy Peña
8) LF Chas McCormick
9) C Martin Maldonado

Paired with the rotation they'll carry into next year, that team could make a legitimate run at the single-season 116 win record and would have a strong shot at becoming the first repeat champions since 2000.

Is it likely? Probably not. Would it be a dream come true? Absolutely. Hopefully the 'Stros find some time to meet with the Pittsburgh front office this week and bring Reynolds to The H.

Let Justin Verlander Walk

Our own Matthew Creally did a fantastic job this morning advocating for why the Astros should let Verlander leave. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check it out.

He was spot on. Verlander is about to be on the wrong side of 40 and is rumored to be asking for $43.3 million a year. Factor in his struggles in the Fall Classic and Houston should tell him "thanks for your time, best wishes."

Houston will still have the best rotation in the game with or without Verlander, and they can instead use the $43.3 million for two or three other pieces.

JV was an amazing piece of this Golden Era of Astros Baseball, but the Golden Era will continue for longer if they let him go.

Re-sign Yuli Gurriel

La Piña has been a key piece of the Astros' run of dominance since 2017. He won the batting title in 2021, but regressed mightily in 2022, before showing signs of being the hitter we have all come to know and love in the playoffs.

I believe a key piece to his resurgence was the steady stream of off-days built in to the postseason. With consistently fresh legs, Gurriel was able to barrel up the baseball, hitting .347 with two home runs and an .850 OPS.

In eight spring training games this season, Gurriel hit .421 with three home runs and an astounding 1.423 OPS. Suffice to say, if Yuli has days of rest, he is still a mighty capable hitter.

After the struggles of Aledmys Diaz in the playoffs, the Astros should replace him in the utility role with Gurriel. David Hensley brings plenty of versatility, as does Mauricio Dubon, though he is a well below-average bat.

With a starting infield of Abreu, Altuve, Peña and Bregman, the Astros are the envy of the league. Being able to spell those four with Gurriel and Hensley would be an embarrassment of riches. La Piña needs to finish his MLB career in an Astros uniform. Houston should ensure that happens.

Sign Willson Contreras and Andrew Benintendi

Both names have been mentioned as potential signings for the Astros previously on Climbing Tal's Hill, but this now is looking rather realistic.

In his latest report, Jon Heyman said that Houston is split on whether or not to land Contreras. He writes:

The Astros and Cardinals seem the most interested in Willson Contreras. Houston’s decisionmakers are said to be split on whether to go for Contreras or go again with the defensive Martin Maldonado and promote a couple prospects to back him up.

I'm a huge fan of Yainer Diaz and think he has a bright future as an Astro. Korey Lee still has a great deal of promise as well. But signing Contreras as the DH and second catcher is a no-brainer. You're trying to win the World Series. There is a reason Jeremy Peña was such a success story last year--unheralded prospects don't come out of nowhere to do what he did. Sign the sure thing. Contreras' bat transforms this lineup.

Then, don't stop there. Land Benintendi as well. The Astros are now rumored to be interested in the left fielder.

Benintendi is fresh off of hitting .304 with a .772 OPS. His left-handed stick would bring balance to the lineup and he'd likely rediscover his power stroke here. His five home runs become 14 playing in Minute Maid Park.

Assuming Bryan Reynolds isn't acquired via trade, the Astros can use the money they saved by letting JV walk to send out an outfield combination of Alvarez, Tucker, Benintendi and McCormick, with Yordan and Contreras splitting DH duties, and Maldy and Contreras handling the pitching staff.

Landing one of Contreras or Benintendi would be nice. Landing both would be elite.

Depth and versatility win in October. If the Astros land both of these pieces, they've got it in spades. And with that, they'll have a World Series repeat.