What happens after Jeremy Pena might end up defining the Astros’ offseason.
That question is only getting louder because Pena is headed into his final year of arbitration and will be a free agent after next season. And with nobody really knowing how long next season lasts, or even how many games it contains, the uncertainty around Houston’s shortstop situation is only growing.
At the center of it all is Jim Crane. He’s the one who will decide whether the Astros meet Scott Boras’ asking price for an extension or hand the next GM the task of finding a bridge solution while sorting out the long-term picture.
If Crane isn’t suddenly willing to go big - something in the neighborhood of seven years and $200 million - then trading Pena starts to look like the only sensible path. Letting him play out the year with no intention of paying him and then losing him for a compensatory draft pick would be, as the reporting puts it, franchise malpractice.
The Kyle Tucker trade offers the template. Houston could seek a return built around three players who could reach the majors within a year, with one carrying All-Star upside. And with so many World Series-caliber teams hunting for a shortstop, the market could be even richer.
The problem is that no Pena trade is going to bring back a ready-made MLB shortstop, which leaves Houston with a handful of imperfect 2027 answers.
One option is Carlos Correa, but that comes with real questions. When he came back to Houston, he talked about wanting a move to third base to reduce the wear on his body. By the time 2027 arrives, he’ll be entering his age-32 season, and adding more strain after ankle tendon surgery doesn’t sound ideal.
A shortened 2027 season because of a lockout could change that calculus. Correa might be more open to shortstop in a one-year stopgap role if the schedule is condensed in a way that doesn’t pile on extra doubleheaders and wipe out off days the way the Covid season did.
Correa has said recently that he’d play wherever the team needs him, though that comment appeared to be tied more to his return for the final week of the regular season and a possible playoff run, a plan that never really materialized when the ankle didn’t respond the way he hoped. There’s also still the question of whether the tendon surgery took anything away from his mobility.
Another internal answer would be Nick Allen. That would be the cheapest route, but also the one with the least upside.
Allen just posted the best offensive season of his career - .283 with a .327 OBP and .720 OPS, good for a 104 OPS+ - but it came in only 162 plate appearances. Regression feels far more likely, especially toward his career line of .221/.272/.559.
He can handle the position defensively, but he profiles more as depth than as an everyday solution.
Then there’s Pascanel Ferreras, who would be the wild card. Most Astros fans probably don’t know much about him, but the 24-year-old just put together a real breakout at Sugar Land.
After his first 30 games at Double-A Corpus Christi, where he hit .263 with a .359 OBP and .763 OPS, he got promoted and got even better. In 71 games with the Space Cowboys, Ferreras hit .305 with a .370 OBP and .837 OPS, finishing with 6 homers, 24 doubles, a triple, 46 RBI and 41 runs scored in 307 plate appearances.
The question is whether he can actually hold down shortstop in the majors. He committed 8 errors in 46 games there last season, while also seeing time at second base and third base.
Still, there’s some intrigue here. Ferreras was the final pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, taken 614th overall in the 20th round, and he’s listed at 5-foot-7 and 185 pounds.
If the bat keeps moving the way it did this year, he might hit enough to become a regular. That’s a risky bet, but one with upside.
The system doesn’t offer much else right now. Max Holy is the only Top-30 Astros prospect at shortstop, and after reaching Double-A last season, he still needs major improvement with the bat. He’s projected to be a strong defender, but he’s probably two years away.
If Houston goes outside the organization, Mauricio Dubon stands out as the most workable free-agent option. He’ll be entering his age-32 season, but he just turned in his best offensive year and remains an excellent defender.
He can move around the diamond, though shortstop is his natural spot, and Astros fans would welcome him back after being upset when he was dealt to the Braves last offseason. Houston also missed his versatility badly in 2026; he would have been the everyday center fielder.
Dubon set career highs in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, walks, hits, runs, doubles, at-bats and total bases. He’ll likely want a multi-year deal, but a two-year, $18 million contract shouldn’t be enough to scare the Astros off. He was worth 6 OAA at shortstop last season even though he started only 51 games there.
There are other shortstops on the market - Orlando Arcia, J.P. Crawford, Paul DeJong, Ha-Seong Kim, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jorge Mateo, Kevin Newman and Zack Short - but none of them really solve the problem.
The bat isn’t there, and in some cases the defense may not be either. That’s why Dubon would have to be the priority if Houston chooses the free-agent route.
Bo Bichette could theoretically shake loose if he opts out of his Mets deal and returns to the market looking for a big shortstop contract, but that would run against the Astros’ stated preference of avoiding major deals.
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