3 players for Houston Astros to target this offseason

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.