Randy Flores walked into his new job with a pile of issues waiting for him, and one of them sits right in the middle of the lineup card.
The Houston Astros’ new general manager has plenty on his plate after getting the job on Friday night. He needs a manager.
He has to untangle an infield that gets even more crowded with Carlos Correa’s return in 2027. The pitching staff was 24th in ERA and FIP and 18th in xERA.
And there’s still the Jose Altuve conversation nobody in the organization wants to have.
But the biggest decision may be the simplest to identify and the hardest to solve: Yordan Alvarez.
Alvarez is coming off the best season of his career and is expected to be the MVP. He has two years left on the six-year, $115 million extension he signed in 2022, with $26 million due in both 2027 and 2028 before he can hit free agency.
That gives Houston roughly 12 months, maybe less, to figure out whether he is part of the next chapter. If the Astros can’t reach a new deal by the end of 2027, trading him would be the likely next step.
Some would argue that clock should start even sooner.
The reason is obvious: Alvarez just put together a monster 2026. He led the majors in batting average, posted a .432 OBP and a .601 SLG that were both best in baseball, and finished with a 1.033 OPS that also led the majors.
He drew more walks than anyone. His 42 home runs and 106 RBI were both career highs.
The only real knock is that he doesn’t play the field much, and that hasn’t stopped him from becoming the clear awards-season favorite.
That kind of season changes the price. Any extension discussion now has to begin with the 2026 version of Alvarez, not the 2025 version who appeared in just 48 games. Houston has to weigh what a healthy, prime-age MVP bat costs on the open market, then decide how much the injury history should lower that number and how much value his age-32 season and beyond still carries.
The Astros have been here before with homegrown stars, and they haven’t handled every case the same way. Alex Bregman played out his deal and left in free agency for Boston.
Houston got the 132nd pick in the draft after extending the qualifying offer and selected pitcher Chayce McDermott. Kyle Tucker was dealt with a year left, and the return brought back Cam Smith, Isaac Paredes, and Hayden Wesneski.
Draft-pick compensation for a departing free agent remains unclear, but some form of return is expected.
Flores’ arrival matters here, maybe more than anywhere else. James Click approved the Alvarez extension, but he has been gone since the 2022 parade.
Dana Brown is gone too. Flores comes in without any history with Alvarez and without any emotional attachment to the roster.
That can be an advantage, because a new GM can look at a 29-year-old designated hitter with two years left and evaluate him as an asset instead of a franchise symbol. Whether that view carries weight depends on Jim Crane, who still signs the checks and pushed for the original extension.
Flores can make the recommendation, but Crane is the one who makes the call.
The broader roster picture only sharpens the urgency. Houston is the reigning AL West champion, but it got there with an 81-81 record and then got swept by the White Sox in the Wild Card round.
Altuve is 36 and owed $33 million in 2027. Jeremy Peña, Christian Walker, and Paredes are all likely headed for free agency after the 2027 season.
With an expiring CBA and a lockout that could freeze the winter, the window to sort all this out is already tight.
That leaves Houston with two realistic paths. If the Astros believe they can contend in 2028 and beyond, then extending the best hitter in the American League makes sense.
If they don’t, then moving him before he walks becomes the smarter play. A deadline trade could be especially appealing if Houston isn’t clearly in the race by July, since Alvarez would have more value helping two pennant chases instead of one.
Waiting until after the season would mean selling a one-year rental to teams that know the Astros have to move him. He also has a limited no-trade clause that lets him block deals to 10 teams, which could complicate matters.
The one thing Houston can’t do is let this drag into nothing. The Astros didn’t give up much to get Alvarez, famously sending Josh Fields the other way.
That makes it even harder to justify losing him for only a compensation pick. In the end, Houston needs either Alvarez in the middle of the order or a major haul coming back in a trade.
In Other News...
Yordan Alvarez Just Entered Rare Astros Company
Yordan Alvarezs season has already put him in some of the rarest air an Astros hitter can reach. After leading the American League in multiple offensive categories and taking home both the AL and major league batting titles, he has added another layer to a year that has been defined by production at the plate and consistency in the middle of Houstons lineup.
The next milestone now sits on the calendar, with the MVP awards set to be announced Nov. 12 on MLB Network. For Alvarez, the recognition reflects more than just a hot stretch or a strong finish. It puts him in position to join a short list of Astros stars who have drawn this kind of individual attention, with the final verdict still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Manager Search Is Moving Fast Under Randy Flores
The Astros managerial search is already moving at a brisk pace under newly hired general manager Randy Flores, who has full authority over baseball operations and is looking to settle on a manager soon. Among the names in the mix are Rangers bench coach Luis Urueta and Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus, two familiar figures with different paths but the kind of experience teams often sort through when trying to set a new tone in the dugout.
There has also been chatter around other possible candidates, including Albert Pujols, which only adds to the sense that this search could widen before it narrows. For now, though, the clearest sign of where things stand is that Flores is working quickly and keeping the process moving, with the Astros trying to line up the right voice for the next chapter without letting the speculation run ahead of the actual interviews. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Just Sent A Clear Message About Isaac Paredes
Isaac Paredes gave the Astros plenty to like in his first season of real significance in Houston, and the front office responded by keeping the third baseman in place. After a productive 2026 campaign in which he hit .262 with 25 home runs and 94 RBIs, the club chose to pick up his option rather than let the situation linger into the winter, a sign that his bat mattered more than any lingering questions about how he fit defensively.
For Houston, the move also clarifies the infield picture for the near future. Paredes remains under team control through 2027, giving the Astros stability at a premium position while they continue to weigh the full package he brings. There is still a wrinkle attached to the deal, though, and it keeps one more layer of intrigue around a player who is already firmly part of the organizations plans. [Read more 🡒]