ORLANDO, Fla. -- Astros general manager Dana Brown entered the team’s suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Monday afternoon, the first day of baseball’s 2025 Winter Meetings, and couldn’t help but smile. Brown was pleased to be back in his element and around people who have made a life in the game, just like he has.
Whether Brown’s smile remains in the coming days could hinge on whether the team lands another starting pitcher or two, which remains the Astros’ focus this winter. Brown said the club remains in pursuit of starting pitching through both trades and free agency, but nothing appeared to be imminent late Monday.
“The priority is starting pitching,” Brown said. “I mean, that's where we are, and that's been the main thing all seasons, so we're trying to keep the main thing the main thing. We want to make sure that we beef up the rotation, and so we're fired up about that.”
The Astros continue to dangle center fielder Jake Meyers in any trade talks to acquire controllable starting pitching, but the club likely won’t be in the market for any of the big names on the market, including Ranger Suárez. The Astros signed Nate Pearson in October and last week reached an agreement with right-hander Ryan Weiss, who had pitched the previous two years in Korea (the club has yet to announce the deal).
The Astros believe they could have gotten a good return for center fielder Chas McCormick in a trade a couple of years ago, and he wound up staying with the club and was placed on waivers last month. They don’t want to miss their window on moving Meyers, a Gold Glove finalist in 2024 who has some value coming off a season in which he slashed .292/.354/.373 with 16 stolen bases in 104 games. He missed two months with a right calf injury.
“We are going to give them a longer look in Spring Training,” manager Joe Espada said. “I think not only they showed that they could play at our level but they did it in an environment where we were in the middle of a playoff hunt, and they were able to handle that very well. And their performance was better than what we all expected. So I am really excited about what these players can do. And I am going to give those guys an opportunity to play a lot in Spring Training and give them an opportunity to make the club.”
Brown wouldn’t address the Meyers rumor specifically, but sources say the White Sox, Dodgers, Reds and Royals are interested in the 29-year-old who’s under team control for two more seasons. The Royals would like to add an outfielder, and All-Star lefty Kris Bubic is perhaps their likeliest trade candidate.
“We've had multiple players [whose] names came up,” Brown said. “Our center-field depth is pretty good right now. I mean, we have Meyers, we also have Cole who can play center field. We have some depth there and I just feel like with the depth, we don't have to trade these guys. We can keep all of them.”
As it stands, Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti will anchor Houston’s rotation, with Lance McCullers Jr., Colton Gordon, Jason Alexander, AJ Blubaugh, J.P. France and Weiss adding depth. Pearson likely winds up in the bullpen.
“We're just trying to add quality pitching to our rotation,” Dana Brown said. “I mean, it could be a young guy who we think is going to be really good. You guys have heard me talk about being active in the present and the future.”
By designating Ramón Urías for assignment and trading Mauricio Dubón last month -- and perhaps Meyers in the coming days -- the Astros will be freeing up some money that Brown said Monday would be reinvested in the current roster. Houston is still trying to stay under the luxury tax threshold next season while looking to add quality pitching, which is a difficult line to navigate.
“If we don't have to trade from our Major League roster, we won't,” Brown said. “But there is a chance, because we're not going to leave any stone unturned, that you may eventually have to trade something off your roster.”