MLBTR Podcast: Jesús Luzardo’s Extension, Atlanta’s Depth, And Zack Littell
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Phillies and Jesús Luzardo signing an extension (1:55)
- Johan Rojas reportedly testing positive for a PED and how that impacts the Phillies (16:55)
- The Braves losing Jurickson Profar to yet another PED suspension and Joey Wentz to a season-ending injury (22:15)
- The Nationals signing Zack Littell (36:25)
- The Pirates trading Kyle Nicolas to the Reds for Tyler Callihan (43:40)
- The Rangers signing Andrew McCutchen to a minor league deal (48:45)
- The Astros dealing with a Jeremy Peña injury and how that impacts the ongoing Isaac Paredes trade rumors (53:30)
Check out our past episodes!
- Max Scherzer, The Red Sox’ Lineup, Spring Extension Candidates, And More! – listen here
- Twins And Orioles’ Injuries, The Guardians And Angels’ Quiet Offseasons, And Chris Sale’s Extension – listen here
- The Tigers’ Rotation, A Brewers-Red Sox Trade, And Late Free-Agent Signings – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images
Jeremy Peña Diagnosed With Finger Fracture
March 6: General manager Dana Brown said this morning that it’s “too early” to tell if Peña will be ready for Opening Day (via Kawahara). Peña himself added that Opening Day is the goal, but he’s not yet sure how the injury will heal. That Peña and the team are even leaving the door cracked for the shortstop to be on the roster is a welcome development for Astros fans, however.
Kawahara writes that moving Correa over to shortstop would be the top option if Peña misses time, though slick-fielding utilityman Nick Allen could also get a few extra innings there. With regard to potential trades involving the Astros’ collection of infielders, Brown suggested that he’ll remain open if other clubs come calling but didn’t sound motivated to actively pursue trade scenarios while Peña is banged up.
“Right now, we like where we are,” said Brown. “We have a good club. We have pretty good depth.”
March 5: The Astros announced that shortstop Jeremy Peña has a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger. He will be reevaluated in two weeks. Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle was among those to relay the update.
Peña was playing for the Dominican Republic team yesterday in an exhibition contest against the Tigers in advance of the World Baseball Classic. In the third inning, he fielded a grounder from Wenceel Pérez behind the second base bag. Peña was able to make the play and throw out Pérez but was seen looking at his finger. He was later removed from the contest.
Yesterday, Dionisio Soldevila of Grandes en los Deportes reported that Peña had suffered a fracture. The Astros initially pushed back on that report, saying that Peña had cracked his fingernail and was still undergoing testing, but a fracture is the diagnosis after all. The WBC final is on March 17th, so it appears that the D.R. team will have to proceed without Peña at shortstop for the whole tournament.
As for the Astros, time will tell if Peña can get healthy in time for their season opener or not. They will start their campaign on March 26th, three weeks from today. Perhaps Peña will have enough time to heal up. If not, injured list stints can be backdated by three days, so there’s a potential scenario where he makes a quick trip to the IL and is back in a week.
At least temporarily, this alleviates the logjam the Astros have been facing on the position player side. For most of the offseason, trade rumors have swirled due to the club seemingly having one more infielder than necessary. Isaac Paredes has been the guy most often at the center of that trade speculation. He was Houston’s third baseman for most of last year but he suffered a significant hamstring strain which prompted the Astros to acquire Carlos Correa to replace him.
With Paredes now healthy going into 2026, the infield is a bit cluttered. On paper, the Astros have Peña at short, Correa at third, Jose Altuve at second and Christian Walker at first. Yordan Alvarez can play left field but will be the designated hitter most days. Paredes could bounce around the infield with some time in the DH spot when Alvarez in left.
It’s a bit inelegant, which has led to all the rumors, but this Peña injury also demonstrates how quickly the surplus could evaporate. If he has to miss some time, the Astros could slide Correa over to short, which would allow Paredes to have a regular playing time at third.
This Peña injury doesn’t appear to be major, so things could get tight again fairly quickly, but another injury at some point is likely. Correa and Alvarez have both had some notable injury troubles over the years. Altuve and Walker have been more reliable but Altuve will be turning 36 soon and Walker is approaching his 35th birthday. The logjam is only really a problem is everyone is healthy at the same time.
Perhaps the odds of a Paredes deal have decreased somewhat with this development. On the other hand, the Astros still want to add another lefty bat into their outfield group and appear to be against their budget limit, so there could still be a case for a Paredes trade if the right offer comes along. More information on Peña’s status and the club’s plans should be forthcoming as Opening Day gets closer.
Photo courtesy of Cary Edmondson, Imagn Images
Astros Showing Interest In Michael Conforto
The Astros have been seeking a lefty-hitting outfielder for much of the offseason and have shown some recent interest in Michael Conforto, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. McTaggart adds that Houston’s chances of trading infielder Isaac Paredes have “diminished” recently. Houston has reportedly been exploring the possibility of adding another lefty bat by way of a Paredes trade.
Conforto, 33 on March 1, is coming off a career-worst season with the Dodgers, wherein he slashed .199/.305/.333 in 486 trips to the plate. It’s the first decidedly below-average offensive performance in the big league career of the 2014 first-round pick and 2017 All-Star. That said, Conforto’s career has been on a downward trajectory since a shoulder injury caused him to miss the 2022 season.
Since returning from surgery, Conforto has played in three seasons with the Giants and Dodgers, hitting a combined .225/.316/.390 in 1444 plate appearances. He still draws plenty of walks (10.5% in that time) but hits more grounders and weak fly-balls than he used to, and his line-drive rate has dipped considerably (22.4% from 2015-21; 17.8% since). Conforto has generally hit righties well and been closer to average in left-on-left matchups, but he’s been better against lefties in each of the past two seasons (albeit in a small sample of 184 left-on-left plate appearances).
Given the lackluster overall performance since Conforto’s shoulder surgery and last season’s career-worst showing, the price tag to sign him won’t be prohibitive. At best, he’d command a low-cost one-year deal, but given that spring training is underway and interest doesn’t appear to have been robust throughout the winter, Conforto could also simply sign a minor league deal and head to big league camp with the Astros.
Yordan Alvarez is the only established left-handed hitter in Houston’s lineup. Young outfielders Zach Cole and Joey Loperfido are in the mix for Opening Day roster spots but have minimal major league experience. Broadly speaking, the outfield in Houston is rather unsettled, regardless of player handedness. Jake Meyers is locked into center field, but the rest of the picture seems fairly up for grabs. The team wants Alvarez to spend more time at DH than in left field this year. Cam Smith had a huge spring last year and a big start to his rookie season before fading considerably as the year went on. Cole struck out at a 35% clip in the minors. Loperfido posted roughly league-average offense with the Blue Jays’ Triple-A club (before being traded back to Houston last week). Former first-rounder Brice Matthews is a middle infielder by trade but has begun a transition to the outfield due to Houston’s crowded infield mix.
The Astros have explored trades of Paredes throughout the winter. His status as the starting third baseman was upended when they reacquired Carlos Correa at last year’s trade deadline. Paredes can also play first base, but that’s manned by Christian Walker in Houston. He’s owed $40MM over the next two seasons and unsurprisingly has not garnered much trade interest at that rate. An ideal situation might see the ‘Stros find a trade that sends Paredes out in exchange for a veteran corner outfielder, but they’ve come up empty despite considerable effort, so it’s not especially surprising to see them looking at some low-cost free agent alternatives in their quest to add a left-handed bat.
Astros Notes: Hader, Diaz, Trade Market
Astros closer Josh Hader is behind schedule in camp after imaging revealed biceps inflammation a couple weeks ago, manager Joe Espada told the team’s beat as camp opened this morning (link via Chandler Rome of The Athletic). Espada added that Hader has already been resting for the past 10 days or so and is scheduled to resume throwing from flat ground today. Hader himself told reporters that he felt “pretty good” after his brief shutdown (video via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). He acknowledged being a “probably a few weeks behind” due to the minor setback. Hader didn’t rule out Opening Day but also declined to put a firm timetable on his rehab.
The 31-year-old lefty (32 in April) is entering the third season of a five-year, $95MM contract in 2026. Hader enjoyed a decent first season in Houston and a dominant second campaign; overall, he’s pitched to a 3.06 earned run average while striking out a colossal 37.4% of opponents against a roughly average 8.5% walk rate. He’s picked up 62 saves along the way. Bryan Abreu would be the top candidate for saves early in the season if Hader were to miss time.
Elsewhere in the Houston bullpen, righty Enyel De Los Santos is current shut down from throwing for a couple days due to a strain in his right knee (via McTaggart). The 30-year-old De Los Santos was a nice bargain addition in August. Houston signed the well-traveled righty to a big league deal after he was cut loose in Atlanta. He went on to pitch 22 1/3 innings as an Astro, working to a 4.03 ERA with far more encouraging rate stats (26.4 K%, 6.6 BB%). He was dinged for five home runs in that time — an average of 2.01 per nine frames — which continued a worrying trend from the 2024 season. However, the long ball wasn’t an issue for him in Atlanta, and De Los Santos yielded just 0.53 HR/9 from 2022-23 in Cleveland. He’s playing out his final season of club control on a $1.6MM salary.
Espada also announced to reporters this morning that catcher Yainer Diaz suffered a foot sprain on a slide into second base during the Dominican Winter League season (video via McTaggart). The injury took place back in December, and Diaz immediately flew to Houston for a diagnosis and to begin treatment. He’s catching bullpens, swinging the bat and throwing as normal, though he’s on what Espada described as a “modified” running program while the foot is in its final stages of mending. There’s no indication that Diaz will miss time to begin the season or even be hobbled early during exhibition play, but it’s still something to keep an eye on; Houston has reportedly already been poking around the market for a backup catcher.
In broader terms, the Astros remain active in both the free agent and trade markets. They’ve reportedly been seeking a left-handed-hitting outfielder as part of the return in any trade talks surrounding infielder Isaac Paredes, who remains available for clubs looking to add some thump at the infield corners and/or at designated hitter. General manager Dana Brown suggested today that trade talks have slowed down in general since camp opened but stated that Houston remains open to roster changes throughout the course of spring training (via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle).
In addition to seeking a backup catcher, looking for a lefty-hitting outfielder, and exploring trade scenarios for Paredes and pricey first baseman Christian Walker, the Astros have spent much of the offseason listening to interest in center fielder Jake Meyers.
Astros Continue To Seek Left-Handed Outfielder In Paredes Talks
Astros pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training tomorrow. The team’s roster remains jumbled as camp is soon to get underway. They’re still heavily right-handed and have an arguable surplus of infielders with an unimposing outfield mix.
Trading an infielder, especially Isaac Paredes, has been the most speculated avenue to balancing the roster. General manager Dana Brown has repeatedly said the Astros aren’t motivated to do so. Brown has pointed to the impact that Paredes had on Houston’s lineup before he suffered a significant hamstring strain midway through his first season with the club. The Astros are only a year removed from acquiring him as an instrumental piece in their return for Kyle Tucker, feeling that his pull-heavy approach from the right side would play well with the short left field at Houston’s Daikin Park. That proved to be the case, as Paredes hit 20 homers with a .254/.352/.458 slash in 102 games.
Even as team personnel have struck a public tone that they’re happy with their infield depth, it seems they’ve been more on board with the trade route behind the scenes. Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported last week that the Astros were discussing Paredes with upwards of five teams, including the Pirates and Red Sox. Rome wrote in a column at The Athletic this morning that they’ve intensified efforts to find a match on the trade front. Houston continues to pursue a left-handed hitting outfielder as part of any potential return, Rome adds.
A handful of recent moves could make that less likely. They reportedly kicked around a three-team framework that would have involved acquiring Brendan Donovan from St. Louis. That didn’t come to fruition and he’s now a Mariner. The Red Sox have signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa and traded for Caleb Durbin from the Brewers, which seemingly fills out their infield. Pittsburgh signed Marcell Ozuna to a $12MM free agent contract to add a right-handed power bat. They’re still looking to upgrade over Jared Triolo at third base, but it’s unclear if they’re interested in accommodating Paredes’ $9.35MM salary.
Speculatively, the Brewers may be the best on-paper fit after the Durbin trade. Milwaukee isn’t likely to part with Sal Frelick, but center fielder Garrett Mitchell or corner bat Tyler Black are left-handed hitters who could play the outfield in Houston. The Twins have an uncertain corner infield mix and some expendable lefty outfield bats (e.g. Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach). The Guardians have a heavily left-handed first base and outfield mix and desperately need a right-handed power bat. They could offer someone like George Valera if they’re willing to reinvest any of the money they saved by restructuring José Ramírez’s contract into the 2026 payroll.
The Padres are looking for another corner infielder and could certainly use Paredes at first base, though they don’t have any lefty-hitting outfielders of significance to offer. (Jackson Merrill obviously isn’t getting traded.) That’d also be a drawback in talks with Pittsburgh even if they’re willing to take on the money. The Astros aren’t taking the Bryan Reynolds contract. Pittsburgh probably wouldn’t view Paredes as enough of an upgrade over Spencer Horwitz to relinquish five years of control on Horwitz even if the Astros felt he could play a reasonable left field. There’s always the possibility of looping in a third team to try to balance value, but the direct trade scenarios involving Paredes are tougher to align than they were a week or two ago.
Trading Paredes would create some payroll flexibility for a Houston team that is right up against a $244MM luxury tax line that ownership seemingly doesn’t want to cross. If they don’t find a trade partner (or anyone willing to pick up a notable portion of the Christian Walker contract in a salary dump), he’d project as a multi-positional infielder behind Walker, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. Yordan Alvarez will get the majority of the at-bats at designated hitter.
Pirates Notes: Third Base, Paredes, McCutchen
The Pirates added a big bat to the lineup this morning, signing Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027. The agreement is yet another addition for a Pittsburgh front office that has had an uncharacteristically active offseason. The club might not be done making moves, either. Pittsburgh remains in the market for an upgrade at third base, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The team is also looking for a left-handed starter.
Getting better production at the hot corner won’t be difficult, considering the Pirates finished dead last by a decent margin in OPS at the position in 2025. Pittsburgh’s third basemen compiled a .573 mark, nearly 50 points worse than the next-closest team (the Cubs at .621). Ke’Bryan Hayes took the majority of the reps at third base before getting dealt to the Reds. Jared Triolo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Cam Devanney also mixed in. Triolo is penciled in at the position as the roster currently stands.
The free agent market has largely been wiped out. Veterans Luis Rengifo, Ramon Urias, and Santiago Espinal headline the unsigned players. Kiké Hernández is also still available, though a reunion in L.A. seems like the most likely scenario for him.
Isaac Paredes has been the hottest name on the trade market, and Pittsburgh was said to be interested, though that might change after the $12MM investment in Ozuna. Mackey noted the Ozuna signing probably removes Pittsburgh as a Paredes suitor. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic shared a similar sentiment in an appearance on Foul Territory. “They’re probably at their payroll limit, or at least close to it,” Rosenthal said.
FanGraphs’ RosterResource tool estimates Pittsburgh’s financial commitments at $105MM for 2026. As Steve Adams noted in the Ozuna post, the club is trending toward a new franchise record for Opening Day payroll. Paredes is set to make $9.35MM in 2026. Unless the team sent back a notable salary in return, a Paredes trade would push the Pirates’ payroll beyond last year’s mark by more than $25MM.
Locating a left-handed starter should be a bit easier. Pittsburgh has been known to scoop up a reliable veteran or two to fill out the rotation. Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter served in that capacity in 2025. Jose Quintana, Martín Pérez, and Tyler Anderson have done it in recent years. Quintana and Anderson are still in the market. Patrick Corbin has yet to find a home after a bounce-back season.
[Related: The Pirates’ Rotation Options]
The Ozuna deal could also close the door on another move. As Mackey notes, adding a full-time DH has ramifications for a reunion with longtime star Andrew McCutchen. Ozuna hasn’t played the field since 2023. His time on the grass that season amounted to just a pair of starts. The 35-year-old probably won’t need his glove at any point moving forward. McCutchen has only made 20 appearances in the outfield from 2023 to 2025 in Pittsburgh. He had 445 at-bats at DH last year.
The club was still in talks with the 39-year-old last month, though he expressed frustration about the handling of the situation. McCutchen spent the first nine seasons of his career as a Pirate. He won the 2013 NL MVP award with the club. After bouncing around to the Giants, Yankees, Phillies, and Brewers, McCutchen has returned to the Pirates on identical one-year, $5MM deals the past three seasons.
Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images
Pirates, Red Sox Among Teams Interested In Isaac Paredes
The Pirates and Red Sox are two of “at least five teams” discussing Isaac Paredes in trade talks with the Astros, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal. This is the first time Pittsburgh has been linked to Paredes, though the two-time All-Star has been known to be a Red Sox target for much of the winter.
Boston’s quest for infield help has been one of their primary offseason storylines, with such names as Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Ketel Marte, Eugenio Suarez, Nico Hoerner, Brendan Donovan and many others reportedly considered as free agent or trade targets. In Donovan’s case, Rome and Rosenthal report that the Sox had some negotiations with the Astros and Cardinals about a three-team trade that would’ve sent Paredes to Boston, Donovan to Houston, and presumably a multi-player prospect package to the rebuilding Cardinals.
Instead, St. Louis opted for another three-team trade with the Mariners and Rays, with Donovan landing in Seattle. The breakdown of what the Cardinals might’ve gotten from the Astros or Red Sox isn’t known, but the Donovan deal with Tampa and the M’s netted St. Louis a recent first-round pitching prospect (Jurrangelo Cijntje), two other prospects (Tai Peete, Colton Ledbetter) and two 2026 draft picks from Competitive Balance Round B. The CBR picks are the only types of draft picks that can be traded, so the fact that the Rays and Mariners had such available selections and the Sox and Astros didn’t could have quite possibly been a factor in the Cards’ decision to accept that deal over the other three-team proposal.
Had the Cardinals been amenable to what the Red Sox and Astros offered, the deal would’ve checked off a couple of major boxes for the two AL teams. Paredes would’ve stepped right in as Boston’s everyday third baseman, adding right-handed balance to the Sox lineup and moving Marcelo Mayer into the unsettled second base mix. Donovan is known for his multi-positional versatility, but he would’ve likely been Houston’s everyday left fielder, with the Astros starting infield then settling as Carlos Correa at third base, Jeremy Pena at shortstop, Jose Altuve at second base, and Christian Walker at first base. Yordan Alvarez is set for regular DH at-bats and neither Alvarez or Altuve are well-suited to left field work, so having Paredes in the fold creates something of a logjam for playing time if everyone is healthy.
Houston GM Dana Brown has repeatedly said that the Astros are fine with their infield situation, though this could be some gamesmanship at play, as recent reports suggested that the Astros may indeed still be looking to deal from their infield surplus. Rome and Rosenthal write that Paredes and Walker are both being floated in trade discussions, and “Paredes is more likely to be dealt than Walker, whose cumbersome contract and limited no-trade clause make it more difficult to move him.”
The three-year, $60MM free agent deal Walker signed last winter contains a six-team no-trade clause. Beyond the money and the no-trade protection, Walker is also entering his age-35 season, and he hit only .238/.297/.421 over 640 plate appearances (translating to a 99 wRC+) in his first season in Houston. Paredes missed almost two months of the 2025 season due to a hamstring injury but was terrific when he did play, batting .254/.352/.458 across 438 PA.
It isn’t an ideal situation for the Astros that one of their better and less-expensive players might be their most logical trade candidate. However, because Houston’s other infielders seem less likely to be moved for a variety of reasons, dealing Paredes might be the best way for Houston to both alleviate the infield surplus, and add a much-needed left-handed bat to the outfield.
As Rome and Rosenthal note, the most obvious way for the Astros and Red Sox to address their twin needs would simply be to make a deal with each other, since Boston has a plethora of left-handed hitting outfielders. Jarren Duran has been viewed as the outfielder the Sox may be most willing to move, though Rome/Rosenthal write that the Astros prefer Wilyer Abreu over Duran, in part because of price. Abreu doesn’t reach arbitration eligibility until next winter, while Duran is making $7.7MM in 2026 and his salaries will continue to rise over his remaining two arb years.
It remains to be seen if the Astros and Red Sox could finally line up on a deal themselves, or if perhaps another third party could get involved to help facilitate a trade. There’s also the possibility that Houston could move Paredes elsewhere entirely, given the widespread interest in his services.
The Pirates and Astros already joined forces on a prominent trade back in December, when the two clubs and the Rays engaged in a three-team swap. The Buccos traded from their rotation depth in moving Mike Burrows to Houston in that deal, while Pittsburgh bolstered its lineup by acquiring Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum. Between that trade, the Ryan O’Hearn signing, and the deal with the Red Sox that brought Jhostynxon Garcia into the outfield picture, the Pirates have made a priority of adding some much-needed hitting help to the roster.
Landing Paredes would arguably be the biggest move of all for the Pirates’ offense, and it would fill a hole at third base. Jared Triolo is Pittsburgh’s projected starter at the hot corner, and while Triolo is a plus defender, he has hit only .221/.303/.334 over his last 822 PA in 2024-25. In terms of how the Bucs could meet Houston’s needs, the Pirates have multiple outfielders who are either lefty swingers or switch-hitters, yet none seem like exactly a fit. Oneil Cruz likely isn’t going anywhere, Bryan Reynolds is probably too pricey for the Astros, and neither Mangum or Jack Suwinski would provide clear offensive help.
What other teams could speculatively be in on Paredes? Many contenders are already set at the corner infield slots, though if Paredes is viewed as an upgrade over an incumbent, a deal could be swung with a third team involved. On paper, the Brewers, Tigers, Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Athletics stand out as contenders or would-be contenders who could stand to improve at at least one of the first or third base positions.
Astros Notes: Paredes, Walker, Smith, McCullers
The Astros have seemingly had too many infielders all winter but general manager Dana Brown has consistently downplayed the possibility of a trade, doing so again this week. Privately, the club may be less certain about holding everyone. Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports that some people within the team are questioning the viability of carrying everyone on the roster and that a trade is becoming more realistic.
Last year, the Astros had Isaac Paredes at third base and Christian Walker at first, at least for the first half of the season. Paredes suffered a significant hamstring strain in July, which prompted the Astros to acquire Carlos Correa from the Twins. Going into 2026, they project to have Jeremy Peña at shortstop, Jose Altuve at second base, Correa at third and then either Walker or Paredes at first.
Putting Paredes at the keystone and using Altuve in the outfield is generally seen as less than ideal. Altuve was bad in the outfield last year. Paredes hasn’t played second base since 2023 and there’s skepticism about how viable he would be if put back there again, though the Astros will have him do some drills there during camp.
Most of the rumors have therefore involved the Astros trading either Walker or Paredes and having the other cover first base. Walker is coming off a bit of a down year and is owed $20MM annually for another two years, making him hard to trade, especially since he’s about to turn 35. Paredes would have value but his lower salary is appealing to an Astros club looking to limbo under the luxury tax. He’ll make $9.35MM this year, less than half of Walker. He’ll get a bump in 2027 but would still be well under Walker’s $20MM salary.
If a trade doesn’t come together, manager Joe Espada would be left to find playing time for everyone by scattering off-days around the group. Using the designated hitter spot will be a challenge because the club wants to have Yordan Alvarez in there as often as possible. Though Brown has downplayed the rumors over and over again, there’s still time for a trade to come together.
Rome also notes that the Astros plan to give Cam Smith some center field reps in spring training. Smith came up as a third baseman but the Astros moved him to right field last year so that he would have a better path to playing time. He earned a big league job and showed some promise but his .236/.312/.358 batting line was subpar.
The bar for passable offense is a bit lower in center field, where teams often prioritize defense. Smith graded out well in right field last year, getting credited with 12 Defensive Runs Saved and one above par by Outs Above Average. His sprint speed was ranked in the 95th percentile last year, so he should have the wheels to move to center. The Astros considered some center field time for Smith last year but he didn’t get any game time there.
If Smith can hack it up the middle, that could open up a few possibilities for the club. They have been looking to add a left-handed bat to the lineup and could perhaps slot someone into right field. They have Jesús Sánchez on the roster but he struggled late last year and has been in some trade rumors. Center fielder Jake Meyers has also been in trade rumors and perhaps the club could feel more comfortable pulling the trigger there if Smith seems viable in the middle spot.
Turning to the pitching staff, Espada noted this week that Lance McCullers Jr. would be built up a starter in camp, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. McCullers was a starter for most of last year but was moved to the bullpen in August. Injuries led to him missing the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He was back on the mound last year but his velocity was down and he posted a 6.51 earned run average on the year.
Whether he can turn things around and get back on track is anyone’s guess. He will be further removed from his lengthy injury odyssey but the results in 2025 weren’t encouraging. The Astros may have a six-man rotation for a decent amount of 2026. McCullers projects to be in there with Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss, with guys like Nate Pearson, Spencer Arrighetti, AJ Blubaugh, Miguel Ullola, Jason Alexander, Colton Gordon and Kai-Wei Teng also on the roster. Over the course of the season, Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter will be trying to come back from Tommy John surgeries performed in 2025. McCullers is going into the final season of the extension he signed in 2021 and will be paid $17MM this year.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Astros GM Dana Brown Discusses Infield Outlook
Astros general manager Dana Brown met with reporters this afternoon at the team’s media luncheon. As he has throughout the offseason, the GM downplayed the possibility of trading from his infield while noting that they’re still looking for ways to add a left-handed bat.
“If we can trade a guy to potentially get a left-handed bat or something like that, we’ll consider it,” Brown told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle). “But I think right now we have a really good infield. We do have the depth. We have a long season, 162. We have some veterans that we’d like to give some breaks during the course of a season, and to have this depth is good.”
That’s the tone Brown has struck all winter. He said as early as the GM Meetings that they weren’t motivated to trade Christian Walker and had no interest in moving Isaac Paredes. He again spoke about those corner infielders today. “Right now, both of them are still part of our roster. We have plans for both of them to play. So right now, the plan is for both of them to be there,” Brown said.
Walker and Paredes are in very different spots in terms of trade value. Walker is signed for $20MM annually for his age 35-36 seasons. He’s coming off a .238/.297/.421 showing with a drop in his defensive grades in his first year in Houston. The Astros would likely need to pay down more than half the contract to move Walker. He’s unlikely to fetch a significant left-handed bat no matter how much of the money they cover. Walker did connect on 27 homers and had an alright second half, so the Astros probably don’t want to move him solely to save a fraction of the contract.
Paredes would have much bigger appeal. He’s making $9.35MM after reaching an arbitration settlement this afternoon. The Astros don’t have an obvious spot for him in the starting infield after reacquiring Carlos Correa to play third base while Paredes was injured last summer. Correa obviously has ample shortstop experience but isn’t going to play there often on a team with Jeremy Peña. Houston plans to keep Jose Altuve primarily at second base. Manager Joe Espada has said all winter that they want to keep Yordan Alvarez at designated hitter as much as possible.
That leaves Paredes as a multi-positional infielder for now, though all it takes is one injury to change that. They’d find ways to get his bat into the lineup on a regular basis even if everyone’s healthy. Walker, Altuve and Correa are all in their 30s and could benefit from more rest than the team was able to provide last season. Paredes is coming off a significant hamstring strain that cost him most of the second half, so early-season off days wouldn’t be the worst thing for him either.
The Red Sox are the team that has been most frequently tied to Paredes in trade rumors. They haven’t replaced Alex Bregman in the infield and have a pair of controllable lefty-hitting outfielders, Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran, who would fit Houston’s biggest lineup need. It’d be a surprise to see the Sox part with either Duran or Abreu for Paredes — at least not a one-for-one deal. Paredes has the shortest window of contractual control among that trio. Boston also reportedly prefers Marcelo Mayer at the hot corner and is ideally looking to add a plus defensive second baseman, which isn’t Paredes’ specialty. Even if there’s a workable framework, it’d probably require Houston sending more talent to the Sox to even the package.
Former first-round pick Brice Matthews is likely headed back to Triple-A to begin the year. He hit 17 homers and stole 41 bases while batting .260/.371/.458 at the level a year ago. Matthews struck out at an alarming 28% rate, however, and he fanned in 20 of his first 47 MLB plate appearances. Baseball America grades him as the #3 prospect in a weak Houston farm system. He still has a pair of minor league options but could theoretically be a trade chip if the Astros don’t deal any of their veteran infielders.
Brown noted that the Astros are still evaluating free agent possibilities to add a lefty bat as well. They’re within a few million dollars of the $244MM luxury tax threshold which owner Jim Crane is reportedly reluctant to surpass. Even a role player like Mike Tauchman or Adam Frazier could put them too close to that mark to leave the front office with enough space for in-season additions. Maybe there’s a workable deal for a pre-arbitration lefty hitter who could be squeezed out by another club. Daniel Schneemann, Robert Hassell III or Yanquiel Fernández (the latter of whom should currently be on waivers after being designated for assignment by the Rockies) are a few speculative options who’d likely be available at a minimal cost.
Astros, Isaac Paredes Avoid Arbitration
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.