Houston Astros: What’s on their post-lockout to-do list

Year in and year out, the Houston Astros are to be viewed as legitimate World Series contenders. Last season proved to be the same story, as they marched their way to a first-place finish in the American League West for the fourth time in the last five years. However, the Astros were unable to land manager Dusty Baker his first championship ring, as they lost in six games against the Atlanta Braves in the 2021 Fall Classic.

One name for the Astros faithful to look out for is Justin Verlander. Verlander, set to turn 39 in a month, is coming off of his first career Tommy John surgery, undergoing the procedure in February of last year. After missing the entirety of 2021, he should return to the rotation and instantaneously earn the “staff ace” label, regardless of the fact that he’s closing in on the age of 40.

2022 looks to be an interesting year for the Astros, as they are set to lose star shortstop Carlos Correa in free agency, as well as starter Zack Greinke and bullpen arms Kendall Graveman, Brooks Raley, and Joe Smith.

The starting rotation could be labeled as a position that needs an upgrade after losing Greinke, but the Astros are undoubtedly hoping that the return of Verlander will soften the blow of Greinke’s departure. Lance McCullers, Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, and Jose Urquidy are returning members of the rotation, most likely pushing Jake Odorizzi to a long-relief option.

The Houston Astros are one of MLB’s more complete teams. They have some areas to address on their big league roster but, fortunately for them, there’s much less work to do for them than most other teams.

Let’s take a look at what should be on the Houston Astros’ to-do list once the Major League Baseball lockout is lifted.

The Houston Astros need to find a solid fourth outfielder

While “reserve outfielder” may not stand out as one of the more important roles on a baseball team, all clubs need to have a backup outfielder that can play all three positions and is capable of being a defensive replacement or injury replacement.

Outfielder Jake Meyers, widely expected to be the club’s starting center fielder on Opening Day in 2022, suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder in Game 4 of the ALDS back in October. He did not appear in another postseason contest and is currently slated to miss a good portion of 2022 as well.

While the Astros have Kyle Tucker on hand as a capable center fielder, Chas McCormick is currently atop the depth chart. McCormick, 26, appeared in 108 contests for the club last season, putting up 2.3 WAR (0.9 oWAR and 1.2 dWAR) and hitting 10 home runs in 320 plate appearances. He looks to be a lock in center with Tucker and Jose Siri as a backup.

In left, veteran Michael Brantley is slated to get the vast majority of the starts with Yordan Alvarez somewhat capable of playing the position as well as infielders Aledmys Diaz and Taylor Jones in a pinch. Kyle Tucker will be the team’s starting right fielder, but, beyond that, the depth is pretty thin.

Looking at the current free agent market, there aren’t a whole lot of All Star-level players left. Odubel Herrera is available as well as Kevin Pillar, both are solid defenders capable of playing all three outfield spots as well as possessing double-digit home run potential and speed on the basepaths.

One interesting candidate to consider is Kris Bryant. A third baseman by trade, he became something of a super-utility player last season for the Cubs and Giants and could be a dark horse pick to join the Houston Astros outfield. One way or another, the ‘Stros need some insurance in the outfield.

The Houston Astros need to sign another left-handed reliever

After something of a down year in 2020, left-hander Andrew Chafin rebounded in a big way in 2021, splitting his time between the Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics. The 31-year-old southpaw finds himself on the free agent market for the second consecutive offseason.

Chafin appeared in a total of 71 games last year, 43 in Chicago and 28 in Oakland. In 68.2 innings, he put up a sparkling 1.83 ERA and gave up just four home runs all season. While his SO/9 were down somewhat from his previous showings, he still showed the ability to get batters out at an above-average clip.

Andrew Chafin is largely a two-pitch pitcher, relying heavily on his sinking fastball and slider. He has been known to throw an occasional changeup as well throughout the years, primarily from 2014-2018, although the pitch returned here and there this past season.

While a large amount of his fellow southpaws had reason for concern once Major League Baseball put the “three batter minimum” rule into effect (essentially eliminating the LOOGY, or the Lefty One Out Guy), Chafin has not been affected at all by the rule. In 2021, Chafin carved up both left-handed batters and right-handed batters, allowing a .170 and .196 Batting Average Against across 104 and 162 plate appearances, respectively.

The Houston Astros currently have starter Framber Valdez, reliever Blake Taylor, and minor league pitcher Jonathan Bermudez as the only left-handed pitchers on their 40-man roster. Andrew Chafin is capable of pitching in a variety of roles including setup man and even emergency closer. The Astros should have their eyes on him once the lockout is lifted.