The Astros are heading into the offseason with a clear need: starting pitching. With Framber Valdez hitting free agency, Houston suddenly finds itself thin behind emerging ace Hunter Brown. Cristian Javier is still locked in as a solid No. 2, but beyond that, the rotation picture gets murky-and the front office knows it.
So far, Houston’s approach has been to roll the dice on low-risk, high-upside arms. They’ve brought in Nate Pearson, once a top prospect with electric stuff but an injury history that’s derailed his trajectory.
They’ve also taken a flyer on Ryan Weiss, who’s returning stateside after a stint in the KBO. Moves like these are fine for back-end competition, but this team needs more than lottery tickets if it wants to stay competitive in a tough AL West.
Here’s where things get tricky: if ownership isn’t willing to cross the luxury tax threshold, then the Astros’ options in free agency are limited. According to reports, the front office is leaning toward the trade market to address the rotation. But with one of the thinnest farm systems in baseball, Houston doesn’t have the prospect capital to swing a big deal without dipping into the major league roster.
Enter Jake Meyers.
The Astros are reportedly open to moving their standout defensive center fielder in the right deal. Meyers is coming off his best offensive season and still has two years of arbitration control, making him a valuable trade chip. He’s not a star, but he’s a plus defender at a premium position and showed enough with the bat in 2025 to draw interest from pitching-needy teams.
He’s not the only name being floated, either. Right fielder Jesús Sánchez is also drawing trade interest, which might explain why he’s still on the roster at all.
Sánchez is projected to earn $6.5 million in arbitration, and after a brutal finish to the season-he hit just .199 with a .269 OBP in 160 plate appearances after coming over from Miami-there was real speculation he could be non-tendered. Instead, Houston held onto him, likely because they believe there’s still some value to be extracted on the trade market.
General manager Dana Brown confirmed at the GM Meetings that he’s open to listening on Sánchez. While Sánchez isn’t going to bring back a mid-rotation starter on his own, he could be part of a deal for a back-end arm or used to free up payroll space. Teams like the Royals, Pirates, Guardians, and Phillies could be interested in adding a lefty power bat with some upside.
Sánchez has always had intriguing tools-plus bat speed, impressive exit velocities-but the production hasn’t matched the potential. He was a league-average hitter across nearly 1,900 plate appearances with the Marlins, slashing .246/.312/.432 from 2021 through mid-2025. That’s serviceable, but in Houston, his batted ball metrics cratered, and the struggles at the plate became hard to ignore.
If the Astros do move Sánchez, it won’t solve their rotation problem outright, but it could open up some financial breathing room. Package him with another piece, and maybe you’re looking at something more impactful. Still, trading both Sánchez and Meyers would leave Houston dangerously thin in the outfield-especially from the left side of the plate, where Sánchez is one of the few options on the roster.
And while Dana Brown has made it clear that Isaac Paredes isn’t on the block, that stance could be tested if the rotation remains unresolved deeper into the offseason. Houston doesn’t have the luxury of sitting still. The pitching staff needs reinforcements, and if the Astros are serious about staying in the postseason mix, tough decisions are coming.