When the Houston Astros made a move for Jesús Sánchez at last year’s trade deadline, the plan was pretty clear: add some left-handed thump to a lineup that had grown overly right-handed, especially with Yordan Alvarez sidelined for much of the season. Sánchez, coming off a solid first half in Miami where he posted a .256/.320/.420 slash line and a 104 wRC+, looked like a low-risk, potentially high-reward bat. But once he arrived in Houston, things didn’t go as planned.
To put it bluntly, Sánchez struggled - and not just in a slump kind of way. In 160 plate appearances with the Astros, he hit just .199 with a .269 on-base percentage and a .342 slugging mark, good for a 71 wRC+. That’s a steep drop from the player Houston thought they were getting, and it put him squarely on the bubble heading into the offseason.
There was real talk that Sánchez might be non-tendered - and based on his production, it wouldn’t have been a shock. But the Astros opted to keep him around, at least for now. That decision raised a few eyebrows, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that Sánchez is heading into spring training on shaky ground.
Astros general manager Dana Brown didn’t exactly offer a vote of confidence this week when he told reporters, *“We are definitely in the market for left-handed bats, and we're still continuing to be in that market. We’re working hard every day to see what we can add.
If there was a left-handed bat that was available, I would say that we are in on him.” *
That’s a pretty loud message, and it doesn’t bode well for Sánchez’s chances of carving out a meaningful role. Right now, he’s one of just three left-handed hitters on the Astros’ 40-man roster - alongside Alvarez and outfield prospect Zach Cole - but that hasn’t stopped the front office from continuing to search for more lefty options. In fact, it suggests they’re actively trying to find someone to take that spot.
There’s also the roster crunch to consider. Houston is already dealing with a crowded infield picture and hasn’t pulled the trigger on a trade to clear it up. That makes it even more likely that if they do add another left-handed outfielder, Sánchez could be the odd man out.
It’s worth noting that Sánchez’s name has already surfaced in trade rumors earlier this offseason. And while his value isn’t exactly sky-high coming off that rough second half, all it takes is one injury or one team looking for outfield depth during spring training to reignite interest. The Astros may be holding onto him for just that reason - waiting for the right opportunity to move him.
Of course, there’s still a path - however narrow - for Sánchez to flip the script. If he comes into camp locked in, showing the kind of plate discipline and power that made him a trade target in the first place, he could force Houston’s hand. But that’s a big “if,” and the burden of proof is on him now more than ever.
For Astros fans, the memories of Sánchez’s struggles are still fresh. And while spring training always brings a clean slate, the reality is that Sánchez has a lot of ground to make up - and not much time to do it.