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