Astros’ offseason: Roster manipulation

The Astros are facing a period of large changes to their 40 man roster.

When the World Series finished the Astros’ potential free agents – Framber Valdez, Victor Caratini, Craig Kimbrel and Brendan Rodgers became free agents for real. The only question on those four players is who will the Astros hand a qualifying offer.

A qualifying offer of $22 million for 2026 means that the player could eschew free agency and take the $22 million for one season. It means that the team will receive an extra draft choice if the player signs with another team. In the Astros case it is 99.99% sure that the only player receiving a Q.O. from the team will be Framber Valdez. And then he will turn it down and wander the plains looking for more money and years.

After slicing those four off the 40 man roster while signing scatter arm Nate Pearson, the current 40-man roster looks as follows:

  1. Bryan Abreu – arb eligible
  2. Jason Alexander
  3. Spencer Arrighetti
  4. AJ Blubaugh
  5. Hunter Brown – arb eligible
  6. Enyel De Los Santos – arb eligible
  7. J.P. France
  8. Colton Gordon
  9. Josh Hader
  10. Cristian Javier
  11. Bryan King
  12. Lance McCullers Jr.
  13. Jayden Murray
  14. Steven Okert – arb eligible
  15. Nate Pearson
  16. Bennett Sousa – arb eligible
  17. Logan VanWey
  18. Yainer Diaz – arb eligible
  19. Cesar Salazar
  20. Carlos Correa
  21. Mauricio Dubon – arb eligible
  22. Brice Matthews
  23. Isaac Paredes – arb eligible
  24. Jeremy Pena – arb eligible
  25. Ramon Urias – arb eligible
  26. Jose Altuve
  27. Christian Walker
  28. Yordan Alvarez
  29. Zach Cole
  30. Kenedy Corona
  31. Chas McCormick – arb eligible
  32. Jacob Melton
  33. Jake Meyers – arb eligible
  34. Jesus Sanchez – arb eligible
  35. Cam Smith
  36. Taylor Trammell – arb eligible
  37. Shay Whitcomb

So, that is great – easy-peasy right?

Except…… the following eight players on the 60 day IL will in the next few weeks be either moved onto the 40 man roster or moved out the door.

So, that is 45 butts for 40 seats and that is no good.

However, if the Astros can release 5 spots they will be fine, right?

But wait….there is more.

They have a number of minor league players who will be eligible to be taken by another team in the Rule 5 draft if they are not added to the 40 man roster. P Miguel Ullola would seem to be a must keep after a tremendous season in 2025, but other right handed pitchers, Alimba Santa and Jose Fleury may be other top rated candidates that require protection.

So, if the Astros clear 8 spots they will be fine, right?

But wait….what about those big free agents you want the team to sign. A big bat, a big starting arm and a big relieving arm? Yes, you need to make room for those folks too.

So, if the Astros clear 11 (eleven!!) spots they will be fine, right?

Well let’s see what we can do to help the Astros get there or get close.

Arb eligible players – who could be non-tendered

If a player is non-tendered they would be gone with the wind and without the team receiving anything in return.

  1. Enyel De Los Santos
  2. Luis Garcia
  3. Chas McCormick
  4. Jesus Sanchez
  5. Taylor Trammell

You could possibly let Jake Meyers and Ramon Urias go, but there is another thought about them below.

Players that could be released

Players who still have options and could be sent back to the minors

And then there is another option. The Astros could tender arbitration offers to Jake Meyers and Ramon Urias and then work to trade them for non-40 man roster talent to open even more space up. Or if the Astros go the nuclear option they could trade Yordan Alvarez and bring in three non-40 man roster prospects.

There are options here, some of them better than others.

What do you see the Astros doing in the short term to juggle the 40 man?

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16 responses to “Astros’ offseason: Roster manipulation”

  1. Seems Chas, Garcia, Leon, Corona and Rooney are gone already. Chas had to go, but I still think he’ll have another day in the sun somewhere.

    I figure VanWay, being a pitcher, will end up back in the minors, at least for now, as will Whitcomb.

    I’d like to see a couple of three for one deals help us open up some space, but do we really have 5 or 6 guys that other teams want? Dubon, Jake, Sanchez maybe, but what would we get for a trio like that? And we already have a shortage of outfielders, so I think Jake lives to see another day in Houston, unless someone really wants him in a deal for his defensive prowess, much like Frenchie.

    I don’t think we have enough good players, especially pitchers. Cam has to become a legit everyday guy this year. Diaz needs to find what he lost. I think someone will pay Caratini more than we will. Paredes needs to be fully recovered. Correa has to play 125 games and produce. Walker needs to go or revert back a couple of years offensively, and I prefer Dana figures out a way to move him. Regardless, we’re still a station to station club.

    Yordan and Altuve have to both hit and be healthy to compensate for their combined defensive shortcomings.

    And we really need a couple of the young guys to show up and own a job. Unless I’m forgetting someone, that did not happen last year, did it?

    Pitching tomorrow.

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  3. Out of all the guys in the various lists above, I see 8 potential starters available on Opening Day,

    Alexander

    Blubaugh

    Brown

    France

    Gordon

    Javier

    McCullers

    Pearson

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    • Do even four of them make the team? Beyond that, there will be an injury or two. Besides our ace, are any of these guys going to be better than 4-5-6 starter material?

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      • I’m sorry – I don’t fully understand your question. What I would ask is which of those guys have MiLB options remaining. You have to see what France can do in the spring before assuming he has a spot. I’d say the same about LMJ, but eating his contract is something I doubt Brown does before a few months of the season have passed at least. I’m counting on Brown and Javier to be in the rotation. After that I do think Alexander, Blubaugh, and Gordon all look like more likely 5IP starters than anything else. Arrighetti is also in the mix, but that’s only if his elbow cleared up and doesn’t eventually require surgery. I have no idea who Pearson is, but also didn’t watch the Cubs this year. Looks like he struck out a lot of guys at AAA but hasn’t at the big league level yet.

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      • Devin, of course you understand the question. And ask away about the guys that have MiLB options. That’s what we’re here for. All I’m saying is that we’ve a rotation issue. A significant one.

        Alexander gave up a .966 OPS at home. He does not belong in a good rotation.

        Blubaugh has 32.0 excellent ML innings under his belt. But his lifetime MiLB WHIP is 1.383. I think he’ll start the season in the rotation but he’s far from a guarantee at this point.

        Hunter Brown. No need to discuss his stats. But he needs help around him.

        J.P. France has a 1.400 WHIP over his two seasons, one abbreviated, with the Astros. He’s coming off a big injury at 31. He’s a bigger question mark.

        Colton Gordon gave us a 5.34 ERA and a 1.419 WHIP over 86 innings in 2025. There is not room for him in an ML rotation with a contending team.

        Cristian Javier gives me some hope. He got thrust into stretch run well before he was fully ready to go after MLB hitters again. He showed a lot of grit. Hopefully he’s fully healthy today.

        Lance McCullers is a total crapshoot. He might be done.

        Nate Pearson. First round pick in 2017? He’s another crapshoot. He’s the kind of guy that could keep Dana in his job, or, finish him off.

        So again I ask; do four of these guys even make the team?

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  4. It has not been lost on me that MLB made a rule, out of the blue, that outlawed Luis Garcia’s windup and then his career went from promising to a medical casualty.

    It has not been lost on me that MLB changed the draft to a lottery, making it much harder for teams to rebuild using the draft like the Astros did. Is it a coincidence that the Dodgers have dominated baseball with their money since baseball made that change? Now, the rumors have the Dodgers going after Kyle Tucker with their unlimited resources as they laugh at the other teams, who struggle to stay under a luxury tax line while the Dodgers live $100 million over that same line.

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    • I just started reading the predictions on MLBTR and am glad these are done by people with no inside knowledge. Excepting the Dodgers and maybe Yankees, the other teams can’t sign guys like Tucker, Bregman, etc. to these deals without destroying their budget moving forward. The one I fear is Justin Verlander though. I have no problem bringing him back to town, but an eight figure contract just doesn’t make any sense to me.

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