When the Astros complete their exhibition game with the Mets on Thursday, they will be one week out from their opener at Daikin Park against the Angels of Anaheim or Los Angeles or Hollywood or Alhambra or whatever heck their name is this year. They will leave Florida after Sunday’s game with the Cardinals and complete the exhibition season with two games against their AAA affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, at Daikin next Monday and Tuesday, before resting on Wednesday.
Looking at the landscape and the roster, there are sure things for most of the 26-man roster, and there is competition for a portion of it.
26-Man Roster Sure Things
- (2) IL – Josh Hader and Jeremy Pena – A couple of things to note here – first, folks on the IL do not count against the 26-man roster, and second, Hader has been officially put on the IL to start the season; Pena is an educated guess at this point. If Pena avoids the IL – someone else will not be on the opening day roster.
- (1) Catcher – Yainer Diaz – you need two catchers but only one is a sure thing
- (4) Infield – Carlos Correa, Isaac Paredes, Jose Altuve, Christian Walker – if Pena were healthy, he would be the fifth sure thing infielder
- (2) Outfield – Jake Meyers, Cam Smith – Jake is a sure, sure thing unless he gets traded. Cam has done enough this spring to earn a return to MLB in 2026
- (1) DH – Yordan Alvarez – the surest of sure things
- (5) Starting Pitching – Hunter Brown, Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows, Cristian Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr. – Folks may argue about LMJ being a sure thing, but he has had a spring where he has been steadily improving, and frankly, he will get paid $17+ million this season. They will give him a shot.
- (5) Relief Pitching – Bryan Abreu, Bryan King, Steven Okert, Bennett Sousa, Roddery Munoz – Munoz may be the question mark here, but after a bad outing his first time out he has been very good, and being a Rule 5 pick they keep him on the 26-man roster all season or lose him.
For those at home, who are math-challenged, that is 19 Sure Things – 20 if Pena avoids the IL. Now for those other 7 spots….
Competition
- (1) Backup Catcher – Christian Vasquez vs. Cesar Salazar – Salazar is on the 40 man and has familiarity with the pitchers. Vasquez has more pedigree including a championship ring with the 2022 Astros. But he also has been below .600 OPS the last three seasons.
- (1) Starting Pitching – The sixth spot in the rotation (if they go that direction) – Spencer Arrighetti and Ryan Weiss with AJ Blubaugh on the outside. Arrighetti has the most upside, but the least consistency. Weiss and Blubaugh have been lights out this spring. The two that do not get this spot have a good shot at the two spots left in the bullpen.
- (2) Bullpen – There are two spots left in my bullpen and a number of arms reaching for that spot. If they go with long guys, you are looking at two of Arrighetti, Weiss, Blubaugh, and Ka-Wei Teng. If they go more traditional, one-inning spots, you are talking about Enyel De Los Santos or Christian Roa. The guess here is that it will be two long guys if they go 6-man rotation as they will have a short bullpen and a starting rotation that may not be going deep into games.
- (3) Bench Spots – You have defensive wizard Nick Allen as the one pure infielder left. You have OF competition from Joey Loperfido, Shay Whitcomb, Zach Cole and Zack Dezenzo. You have Brice Matthews, who has been playing the middle infield and the outfield including centerfield. And you have non-40 man roster possibility Taylor Trammell, who started the spring on fire and has cooled off lately. The gut feel here is that it will be Allen, Loperfido (who has been red hot) and Matthews.
And there you go – easy-peasy – a 26-man roster that will change as soon as Pena and Hader (please, Lord) return, and then when some folks get injured (let’s be a little fairer this season, Lord) or don’t produce. Or they pick up someone off waivers like King or Sousa were. And farther down the line, perhaps they trade away someone or trade for someone or hopefully get Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski back.
The 26-man roster that the Astros start the season is not nearly as important as the 26-man roster with which they finish the season.
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
14 responses to “Astros’ 26-man roster: One week out”
Dan, I think your guess is as good as anyone’s. I can’t quibble with your choices, but I do think it will come down to — at least in some cases — who has options, who gets traded (if anyone) and injuries.
And, honestly, outside of the first 19 you mention, I’m not sure it really matters, does it?
Because where the Astros are on Opening Day will be completely different than the team at the All Star break. Now, if you want to WAY out on a limb to predict that roster, you’ll deserve five gold stars. But that’s how I believe this season may go.
Will the Astros make trades? Before the season-opener? Before/near the break?
What’s the over/under on the date for LMJ to go down?
What version of Yordan is coming back?
How good will Paredes and Smith be? How good will they be allowed to be? In other words, will they get a fair shake at consistent playing time to prove themselves?
In reality, we’re likely to see most all the names in your post at some point this season. Is that a good thing or a not-so-good?
Welcome to 2026.
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The one thing I never good at Chip is knowing who does and does not have options – anyone have a source that tells you that, because as you say – that can factor in strongly to the decisions.
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The big thing about someone taking a spot when Pena/Hader start on the IL is that they’re going to have to go down in a few weeks when Pena/Hader come off the IL. Now, consider you have two outfielders in your 19 and then chose two more in your bench picks. That leaves us with four outfielders plus Yordan/Altuve/every man on deck. This all comes down to how comfortable you are sending the Pena fill-in down regardless of their contributions.
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It will be interesting to see every move along the way. That can include shuttling pitching up and down to fill the spot starter/ long relief role.
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Dan, you don’t have Loperfido on the “sure thing” list. But I’m wondering if his slash will move him onto the roster more easily than others.
He’s hitting .355/.474/.958 heading into today, and, of course, he’s a lefty. Do those things give him an edge?
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Yeah I almost included Joey on the sure thing list, but in the back of my mind I thought that perhaps they might consider options (I’m assuming he still has one). Like I said above – my hunch is that he makes the team and probably will play against right handers or more
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Good take Dan. It’s interesting. You have to consider their past patterns – for example Espada is on record, multiple times, of not liking to carry young guys on the big league roster if he can’t get everyday at bats for him. That brings us to Matthews. Is there regular enough playing time for him to be the right side of a lefty/righty in LF with either Cole or Loperfido, while some of that time will still go to Yordan to get Paredes in the lineup, while playing a little CF and even a little 2B? Or do the Astros do what they traditionally do and put him at AAA to get every day at bats?
A lot of this depends on Correa’s statement “whatever the team needs me to do.” If that is play SS every time Pena is not available that makes Nick Allen expendable and helps Matthews chances. If the Astros are only doing this to get Paredes in the lineup – well what happens if Walker gets injured and misses a month? Paredes is now your every day 1B. Now during that Pena takes a slide into his knee and is going to be day to day. Does Correa slide over in that instant? I assume those are the kinds of conversations Dana and Joe are having in ironing out who the bench spots are.
Nick Allen is an enigma. Sometimes we forget – I’m super guilty of this myself – just because someone hasn’t, doesn’t mean they can’t. It just means they haven’t. If I was going to write a case for Nick Allen, I would point that .285 career minor league average (not in a small sample either). I would remind you that in multiple stops in the minors he drew more walks than strikeouts. You would point out to me that a lot of that happened in Vegas, where everyone hits, and I would concede your point, but also point out that he hit .319 in Midland, which isn’t in the high desert. I guess my point is he is entering his prime at 27, the next 2-3 years should be his best, and he isn’t even arbitration eligible until 2027. If the Astros choose to see if he gets better, I can’t blame them. But even if he doesn’t hit, he does a lot of things that Espada can use without him batting 4 times in a game. So I think he makes the roster.
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Steven – You are right about them not wanting to keep youngsters as backups at the MLB level. Since Matthews can play infield and outfield he has value. Cole and Loperfido hit lefty so they have that advantage. I will be fascinated to see what their normal starting outfield is. Based on Spring Training I would go Loperfido – LF/Meyers – CF/ Smith – RF. (Note – Meyers is hitting like a guy who has been watching too much film of Nick Allen not hitting – .125 BA/ .327 OPS
And with Nick Allen – again – he is not hitting in Spring Training – .192 BA/ .481 OPS
My biggest problem with Nick Allen is that unlike pitchers who come to the Astros and find the magic potion (even if it is for a season), these guys who are struggling elsewhere hitting don’t suddenly start hitting. I can’t remember the last guy who was scuffing around and then came here and became a solid everyday player.
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I think I’m on record saying Allen is better than Dubon. I don’t think it’s that close. The difference is that Dubon thinks he is a power hitter (is that Altuve’s fault?) whereas Allen knows he is not. Our park actually gives him a chance to put one in the stands from time to time, but it’s the glove that will give him a roster spot. The problem is that so much of our bench is uncertain right now. In a perfect world Espada throws Allen out as a defensive star late in games and doesn’t need to worry about him coming up to bat. In reality, is pinch hitting Shay, Dezenzo, or Cole going to provide a much higher probability of a quality at bat against a team’s closer?
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Dan, looks like these are the guys who are out of options:
Paredes.
Nick Allen.
Munoz.
Salazar.
Pearson.
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Thanks for the list Chip – I completely boo-boo’d below – thought you were giving me the list of those with options (DUH!)
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Let’s see
Paredes – options don’t matter
Allen – he may head down when Pena comes back
Munoz – His Rule 5 trumps his options
Salazar – could send him down – play Vasquez and bring Salazar back up
Pearson – Has not pitched this spring due to a setback and is likely headed to the IL – but this will be a consideration when he comes off of the IL if they don’t need him (yet)
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OK rewrite this with these guys out of options
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Looking at the club’s lineup, for today’s game, it could be the opening day lineup.
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