The Astros are heading into a busy stretch, and the first order of business is already on the clock. Free agency opens at 4 p.m. CT, kicking off what should be a chaotic month for Houston as the club settles in under its new manager.
Once the market opens, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, and Daulton Varsho are among the players who will hit free agency. But one roster decision is already looming larger than the rest: Isaac Paredes.
Houston has until Monday to decide whether to exercise its $13.35 million club option for the 2027 season. If the Astros pass, Paredes still stays in the organization, since he remains under team control through next season. The choice is really between locking in the guaranteed money now or taking the arbitration route later this winter.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, Paredes is expected to earn $15 million through arbitration, which makes the club option look like the cleaner move.
There was also some hardware handed out over the weekend. Christian Walker picked up his fourth career Gold Glove, and his first since joining Houston. He had previously won the award three times with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he became the first Astros first baseman to win it since Yuli Gurriel in 2021.
Cam Smith came up short in his bid for his first Gold Glove. Wilyer Abreu of the Boston Red Sox got the nod in right field instead.
Abreu led all right fielders with 28 defensive runs saved, while Smith finished with 4. Smith did have the edge in outs above average, posting 6 OAA compared with Abreu’s 2.
In Other News...
Christian Walker Just Gave Astros Fans Another Big Infield Question
Christian Walkers first season at first base for Houston ended with a familiar kind of hardware, even if the setting was new. He won a Rawlings Gold Glove for the fourth time in his career and the first time in the American League, a fitting cap to a year in which he led AL first basemen in fielding percentage and put together a 121-game errorless streak while handling the position for the Astros every day.
What makes the award more interesting for Houston is where it leaves the position going forward. Walker appeared in 154 games at first base and now heads into the final year of his contract in 2027, which only adds to the sense that the Astros have another infield decision looming. For a club that values stability on the dirt, the question is no longer whether Walker can defend the spot, but how long he will be around to keep doing it. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Manager Search Suddenly Puts A Familiar Name In Focus
The Astros offseason overhaul has already taken a familiar turn, with Randy Flores hired as the new general manager and the search now on for Joe Espadas replacement. Around Houston, the conversation has quickly shifted to names with old ties to the organization, and Brad Ausmus is among the most recognizable. A former Astros catcher who later built up managerial experience elsewhere, Ausmus fits the kind of profile teams often circle back to when they want someone who knows the market and the expectations.
Flores is set to be introduced at a press conference, but the bigger task waiting for him is finding the right voice to lead the club on the field. The Astros are expected to keep working through their list during next weeks General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas, where the process should start to pick up speed. For now, the search has a distinctly Houston feel to it, with former players like Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Morgan Ensberg also in the mix as the front office starts narrowing the field. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Face A Tough Joey Dixon Decision They May Regret
Joey Dixons strong fall in Arizona has only sharpened the Astros dilemma. The pitching prospect has spent much of his professional career fighting through injuries, which has kept his innings total light, but the flashes he has shown in the Arizona Fall League have reminded Houston why he remains an intriguing arm in the system.
Now the organization has to weigh upside against uncertainty. Protecting Dixon from the Rule 5 Draft would mean using a spot on the 40-man roster, a move that would signal real belief in his future while also carrying the risk that his health and limited workload still leave plenty of unanswered questions. For a club trying to manage both present depth and long-term talent, it is the kind of call that can look obvious only after it is made. [Read more 🡒]