Overall, the Winter Meetings were a rather quiet affair for a lot of teams, including the Houston Astros. There were a couple big moves, including popular Astros target Pete Alonso signing with the Baltimore Orioles, but most of the top free agents remain available. Obviously more rumors and speculation emerged this week in Orlando, but Astros fans are unlikely to see them in a positive light.
For every Ketel Marte-esque connection out there, there are rumored targets and fits that would be, at best, underwhelming for the Astros heading into next season.
These Astros rumors from the Winter Meetings that should be red flags
Astros rumors connected Houston to Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz
There was a time when Shane Baz was one of the best young pitching prospects in baseball. There’s also the local connection to the city of Houston, which would undoubtedly play well with the Astros fanbase. But Baz has a bit of an injury history and was victimized by the long ball last year. That factor probably won’t be helped by starting half his games at the hitter-friendly confines of Daikin Park.
Is this the lane Houston has chosen in their quest for starting pitching depth? Trading with the Tampa Bay Rays — an organization that never seems to lose a trade — for a pitcher with an ERA near 5.00? If so, that’s (probably) going to end in disappointment.
Astros rumors linking Houston to Mike Burrows could end in disaster
The Astros’ reported interest in Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mike Burrows isn’t terrible. His performance wasn’t disastrous last season, and Burrows comes with a good bit of team control.
The problem, however, is that the Astros are losing Framber Valdez, and are now looking at fringe No. 5 starters to replace him. Hunter Brown is great, and Cristian Javier seems to be in a good spot, but this sort of move would feel like a missed opportunity.
Christian Walker trade rumors are few and far between, and that’s trouble for the Astros
To the surprise of no one, it sounds like trading Christian Walker and his contract this offseason is going to be a tough sell. What a difference a year makes. A down-year in 2025, one that saw Walker dealing with some injury issues, has taken the shine off, and his contract has quickly become an albatross around Houston’s neck. That, unfortunately, has forced the Astros to shop in the clearance bin this offseason.
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