1:37pm: There’s also a 2027 club option on the deal worth $13.35MM, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. If Paredes finishes top ten in MVP voting, the club option converts to a mutual option. Even if the club/mutual option is eventually not picked up, Paredes will still be under club control for 2027 via arbitration. Most teams have a “file and trial” approach to arbitration, meaning they won’t negotiate one-year deals after the filing deadline. Most post-deadline agreement have an option tacked on to nominally adhere to this policy.
12:13pm: The Astros have avoided an arbitration hearing with infielder Isaac Paredes, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The two parties settled on a one-year deal worth $9.35MM, landing right at the midpoint of the team’s $8.75MM submission and the $9.95MM sum submitted by Paredes’ camp at CAA. Houston and catcher Yainer Diaz had their arbitration hearing yesterday, per the Associated Press. A result is expected today.
Paredes, 27 in a few weeks, came to Houston as part of last winter’s Kyle Tucker blockbuster and enjoyed a solid year in the Astros’ infield. He missed nearly two months due to a hamstring injury but still popped 20 homers while batting .254/.352/.458 over 438 plate appearances when healthy.
While Paredes was on the shelf, Houston reacquired Carlos Correa in a deadline salary dump deal with the Twins. The ‘Stros installed Correa at the hot corner in deference to standout shortstop Jeremy Pena. Since Paredes was sidelined into late September, the Astros didn’t have to deal much with the sudden glut of position players they had, but that won’t be the case heading into 2026.
Paredes appears to be a man without a position. Correa and Pena will again man the left side of the infield. The left field experiment for Jose Altuve didn’t prove all that fruitful, and Altuve is expected back at second base for the bulk of 2026. Christian Walker‘s first year as an Astro was a disappointment, but he’s signed for two more years and owed another $40MM, so he’ll be back at first base. Yordan Alvarez will see occasional time in left field but will still take the majority of the Astros’ DH at-bats. Prospect Brice Matthews, a natural middle infielder, will likely be pushed to the outfield by the infield logjam.
All of that has led to plenty of speculation about a potential trade, though general manager Dana Brown has said repeatedly that he doesn’t feel obligated to trade from the group. Were there any interest in the remainder of Walker’s deal, perhaps that’d change things, but other clubs have understandably been unwilling to take on that $40MM on the heels of a down season for the 35-year-old.
While there’s no immediate spot for regular at-bats for Paredes, that doesn’t necessarily matter. It takes all of one injury for him to have an everyday spot in the lineup, after all, and even if the entire group stays healthy, he can play fairly regularly by spelling Correa at third, Walker at first, Altuve at second and Alvarez at DH. Correa and Alvarez, in particular, have lengthy injury histories and are prone to missing chunks of time.
This was the third of four trips through the arbitration process for Paredes, a Super Two player. He’s controlled through the 2027 season and will be owed one more arbitration raise next winter. The 27-year-old Diaz is arb-eligible for the first time this winter. He and his reps at PRIME submitted a $4.5MM figure, while the team countered at $3MM.
S O C K S.
Now, go get him Pirates!
Would hit even worse there than he did in Wrigley. He’s very park-dependent, needs a short LF porch for the lift-and-pull approach to work. Houston is by far his best fit per Statcast expected HR numbers.
I know he’s a heavy pull hitter and that isn’t the most ideal for PNC Park. But, he hit 20 HRs last year, 10 of which were at home. So, I understand that hitting at home would be a bit more challenging, but he plays half his games on the road. Give me his bat for those 81 games.
Also, of those ten on the road, three were in PNC Park.
What are the Pirates willing to offer?
Not sure. I know y’all need a catcher so I’d offer one of ours (I think Bart would be a good fit), another arm (I think Harrington would be of interest but I also would think Mlodzinski could be interesting. If Ashcraft were needed to be included, I honestly think it’d need to be nearly a 1-1 trade and even then I don’t know that I’d do it).
If it’s Bart and Harrington/Mlodzinski, I think I’d also throw in Termarr Johnson or Sammy Stafura.
I don’t see much that interests me from the Pirates and is price reasonable.
I would do Johnson, Harrington, and Bart for Paredes.
Or maybe not due to what Donovan got. I would weigh the offers, but if that’s the best one, I’d do it.
Yeah it’s tough because the Cardinals just got prospects that could be great but it’s unclear how they’ll play out. With the Astros mainly wanting plug and play MLB players, it makes it harder to work out a deal. If they’d be interested in mainly prospects like what the Cardinals got, I think there’s far more flexibility for what the Pirates could offer. I’d then start talking about a Seth Hernandez as the headliner.
Right. He’s dead pull so PNC isn’t that much more of a problem. They were prepared to give Suarez, supposedly, $30 ml over 2. They should be able to handle $21mil or so over 2.
I would do Hernandez for Paredes in a heartbeat. More likely to offer Barco.
It depends on how urgent our FO is to compete. Hernandez won’t be up in MLB until 2028 at the earliest. Provided he’s healthy. Barco can impact our chances now. I might be more urgent than our FO but I’d be willing trade a high upside prospect whos future hasn’t played out yet for a bat that would legitimately improve our lineup now.
Sounds like Fenway would be a good park for him
Sounds like a fit at …Fenway park 😂
Paring Paredes for Pirates Pairing a Paragon of Imperativeness
Very cool.
Go Buccos go. Go get that Parades rascal!
He could really round out the Red Sox lineup, but I worry what he might cost in a trade.
I hope you keep him.
Wait out spring training, see if there are injuries or Walker takers, and then decide! Let’s go we have a good relationship again! Use the 9 million to take care of your new baby!
Did the Astros really pay 39.5 Million in 2025 for 0.2 WAR at Firstbase? Including the Abreu contract last season?
Yes they did.
So the Astros are one of the rare exceptions to the “file-and-trial” approach of most teams?
I had the same thought, but it turns out there’s a 2027 option that gets around that, technically.
Ah, that update came out as I was typing my first comment. Makes sense, gotta toe the corporate line.
No wonder, now it makes sense why the Astros don’t want him. He’s just too expensive.
I really hope the Astros don’t move him. And I really don’t see why Paredes couldn’t play some left field. I find it nearly impossible to imagine that he would be worse than Altuve out there.
I would move Altuve to left over Paredes. But as an Astros fan, I do not want to move him.
Asstros are paying him $9.35 millions in trash cans.
Maybe they are paying in stocks for whatever company makes skin buzzers.
I like Paredes but will not get a lot of playing time. We need an outfielder. Trade him for one to Red Sox. I know Abreu may still be around.
Nothing from Pittsburgh interesting. Who wants a hurt pitcher and more. Astros keep wanting hurt pitchers and more. Who knows if the o ne pitcher we got from Pirates will be any good. But We have Altuve at 2nd. Alvarez DH Cole OF, Cam OF and Meyers OF. Paredes will NOT be playing the outfield if kept. We have Sanchez who could be platoon or such with Cole or Cam. Maybe will turn it around but I doubt it. But Crane and Dana had to bring Correa back due to Paredes injury as thought would have the surgery so who knows how paredes will really be.
He will definitely get plain time. Outside of Alvarez and possibly Peña, he’s their best offensive player.
Yoshida would be an excellent option for that small LF in HOU. Just sayin’.
Cover all of his contract except 2.5 million per year and we’ll be interested.
Everyday second baseman occasional dh
Finally. Now trade him to Boston. Thanks
I love PareDes, the link to Pena is for a pitcher,wrong guy.
No way Pena is a fair value to any of Boston’s pitchers. Crochet is the only one more valuable and he’s WAAAAAAAAAAY too valuable. Maybe offer Early, Bello, and a hitting prospect. That should get the conversation started. (At least that).
Andddddddd……. Traded
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!