HOUSTON -- Before the Astros can do anything this offseason, they'll have to hire a new general manager and address the status of manager Joe Espada, whose contract expires at the end of October. Obviously, this offseason figures to be one of the most important for the Astros in recent memory.
Five questions facing the Astros this offseason:
1. Who will be the next general manager?
When the Astros parted ways with GM Dana Brown on Aug. 24, his responsibilities were transitioned to assistant GMs Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff and senior advisor Jeff Bagwell, with owner Jim Crane overseeing baseball operations. It's been nearly a week since the Astros were eliminated by the White Sox in two games in the American League Wild Card Series and things remain status quo.
Meanwhile, the future of Espada, whose contract expires in just a few weeks, is also to be decided. Crane has said repeatedly during the season that Espada's future would be addressed when the season is over, so an update could be coming soon. Espada said last week he would like to return next year, which would be his fourth.
2. What kind of team is the new GM inheriting?
The Astros returned to the playoffs this year by winning the AL West with an 81-81 record. After enduring injuries and a 20-31 start, the Astros got healthy and overtook the Rangers to win a division in which no team had a winning record. Now, the franchise is at a bit of a crossroads.
Since capturing the World Series after winning 106 games in 2022 -- the fourth time in five full seasons they won 100 games -- the Astros' win total has dipped four seasons in a row. That's a product of not being able to keep some core players from their championship team and a farm system that hasn’t produced front-line talent like it was doing routinely in the late 2010s.
The current roster has deficiencies in the outfield and in the starting rotation. The Minor League system is improving, but most of Houston's top prospects are at the lower levels. Whoever takes over as GM has their work cut out for them, which leads us to …
3. Should the Astros rebuild, retool or just add to the roster?
There's nobody that wants to endure another full rebuild like the Astros did so well 15 years ago, and they probably don't need to. Still, the roster needs some significant upgrades. The Astros still spend at a high level on payroll, but they don't have enough talent in the upper levels of their system to fill their many holes.
One option could be trading some of their core players, such as shortstop Jeremy Peña, catcher Yainer Diaz and even pitcher Hunter Brown, in exchange for Major League ready talent or prospects. They traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs a year before he was set to hit free agency and got a haul with third baseman Isaac Paredes, starting pitcher Hayden Wesneski and outfielder Cam Smith from the Cubs.
Peña has one year before free agency. Brown has two years left under Astros control, but the team's shortage of starting-pitching depth likely means he stays in Houston at least another year.
4. Will Tatsuya Imai opt in to his contract for 2027?
Imai has $36 million remaining on his contract with player options for '27 and '28. Imai said last week he would talk with his family and agent Scott Boras about opting in for '27, which would pay him $18 million. It's hard to imagine he would pass up that money after posting a 4.93 ERA in 23 games (15 starts) last season, which ended with him throwing mop-up duty in relief.
5. Who's in the infield next year?
The Astros' problem of having too many infielders was solved when starting third baseman Carlos Correa suffered an ankle injury in May and was lost for the season. He should return healthy in the spring, leaving Houston again with five infielders -- Correa, Peña, Paredes, Jose Altuve at second and Christian Walker at first. The club may choose to pick up Paredes' $13.35 million option and trade him, which would open third base for Correa in '27 and allow them to get something in return.