The Houston Astros have plenty to sort through after a 2026 season that left a bad taste in their mouth, but the first priority should be obvious: keep Steven Okert around.
Houston’s offseason picture starts with its own free agents, and while Isaac Paredes is the first name that jumps off the page, there’s a club option attached to him that makes that situation feel settled. Okert is the more pressing case because he’s an unrestricted free agent, and the Astros can’t let a bullpen piece that important walk away.
That matters even more after a season when the relief corps had its share of ugly moments, especially with the decline of Bennett Sousa and Bryan King. Okert wasn’t part of that mess. He handled a heavy workload out of the bullpen and gave Houston something stable in a season that didn’t have much of it.
His numbers tell the story. Okert led the team with 68 appearances and finished with a 2.13 ERA, which trailed only Josh Hader on the pitching staff among pitchers with at least 11 games.
He also set career bests in wins with six, ERA, holds with 21, and WHIP at 0.87, while holding hitters under .200. For Houston, that’s not just useful production - that’s the kind of arm you keep.
The same can’t really be said for Tatsuya Imai, at least not in the same way. He does have an opt-out in his contract, and if he chooses to use it, the Astros would clear a significant chunk of money. His first run in the majors didn’t go well as a starter, which is what Houston signed him to be, and three of his starts ended before he could get out of the first inning.
Imai did look better as a reliever, so if he remains with the club, that’s likely where he’d start next year. But $18 million is a steep price for a low-leverage bullpen arm, especially for a team that needs real pitching help.
Houston has work to do across the board, but the bullpen decision is clear: Okert was one of the few bright spots in a rough year, and the Astros would be a weaker team without him.
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