3 players for Houston Astros to target this offseason

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The Houston Astros are in a strange place heading into the 2022-23 offseason.

Yes, they are fresh off of a World Series championship, their second in franchise history. This one is unsullied, hopefully burying AstroGate and the belief that they could only win a title by cheating. Dusty Baker finally got his ring and is returning for an encore. Most of the roster and coaching staff will be back next year as well, making them a favorite to repeat as champions.

Three players for Houston Astros to target

But there is also some turnover, especially in the front office. General manager James Click is out, having been let go less than a week after winning the championship. Not only do the Astros have to find a permanent answer as their GM, but they have several important holes to fill on the roster. With the Mariners looking like a perennial contender, and the Rangers on the upswing, this could be a crucial offseason as the Astros look to reload.

The Houston Astros are still favorites to win a championship, but they need to upgrade the roster. Let’s look at three players they should target this offseason.

Anthony Rizzo

One of the priorities for the Houston Astros should be first base.

The Astros did not get much production from the position at all last year. Their first basemen combined to post a .231/.276/.344 batting line with just ten homers over 700 plate appearances last season, surprisingly awful numbers for a team that had so much success. As it was, their -1.4 fWAR at the position was 29th in the majors, ahead of only Pirates.

It is also a position that is going to see change. Yuli Gurriel and Trey Mancini are both free agents. This gives the Astros the perfect opportunity to improve the position, something that they are fully aware of as Ken Rosenthal from FOX Sports has reported that Anthony Rizzo is atop their wish list at first.

Rizzo would certainly bring far more power to the lineup than what the Astros had at first last season. His presence would make the lineup that much deeper, eliminating one of the dead spots in the batting order. He is not going to be cheap as other teams, such as the Yankees, are going to be in his market. However, he could make a tremendous difference in their chances for next season.

First base was a black hole for the Houston Astros last year. Adding Anthony Rizzo could make a tremendous difference.

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports /

Justin Verlander

No one had any idea what to expect from Justin Verlander in 2022.

The Houston Astros ace had pitched just once in the past two years, lasting one game in the pandemic shortened 2020 season before undergoing Tommy John surgery. At 39 years old, it was fair to wonder how much he would have left to offer going forward.

As it turns out, Verlander not only had plenty left for 2022, but he put together one of the better seasons of his career. He led the majors with a 1.75 ERA and a 0.829 WHiP over his 175 innings, striking out 185 batters with 29 walks while leading the American League with 18 wins. It is not a surprise that he is a finalist for the Cy Young award.

At this point, the only question is how much longer Verlander is going to want to pitch. He has his championship, even earning his first World Series victory on the mound. As long as Verlander wants to keep going, the Astros need to keep him on board, bringing their ace back until he has determined it is time to walk away.

Justin Verlander had an impressive season in 2022. The Houston Astros cannot afford to let him head elsewhere.

Willson Contreras

As bad as Houston Astros first basemen were in 2022, their catching situation was even worse.

It is something that the Astros recognized at the deadline as they acquired Christain Vazquez. However, he settled into a backup role, leaving Martin Maldonado atop the depth chart. As a whole, Astros catchers posted a miserable .186/.244/.313 batting line in 610 combined plate appearances, hitting 17 homers but not doing much else with the bat.

That did not necessarily have to be the case. The Astros had a tentative deal in place to bring Willson Contreras on board, only for owner Jim Crane to shoot that down. Contreras would have made a distinct difference with the bat, but it was fair to wonder how quickly he could acclimate himself to the pitching staff to take over as the primary option behind the plate.

Doing so is much easier in the offseason. With the Astros still in need of an upgrade at catcher, it is not a surprise that they are reportedly revisiting the idea of bringing Contreras on board. While Dusty Baker may prefer having a more defensive oriented catcher behind the plate, Contreras has been solid enough with the glove and the stark difference in production would more than make up the difference.

Willson Contreras could be the missing piece in the Houston Astros lineup. It is time to revisit bringing him on board.

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