The Houston Astros agreed to a four-year deal on Thursday, a move that makes sense for a team that has been rebuilding the last few years.
Fans of the Houston Astros have been through a lot the last few years, including three consecutive 100-loss seasons, a switch from the NL to the AL and a return to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. But now they’re starting to pick up the pieces and make some smart moves, including signing outfielder Josh Reddick on Thursday.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports first reported the news, and it now opens up a few possibilities for a team that has been seemingly a piece or two away from figuring out their own puzzle. It makes sense for the team, as they need another left-handed bat in the lineup. The majority of their lineup consists of right-handed hitters, so mixing up things at the plate will help them out against opposing pitchers.
He’s not a power hitter by nature, but he is consistently getting base hits, which is big plus for their lineup. He was a near .300 hitter in 2016 and went 8-for-26 in the NLDS as a member of the Dodgers. At 29 years old, he’s still got plenty of time left to help Houston get their act together and make a run at something big.
Possible HOU lineup in '17: RF Springer, 3B Bregman, 2B Altuve, SS Correa, LF Reddick, 1B Gurriel, C McCann, DH Gattis, CF Marisnick.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 17, 2016
Buster Olney of ESPN reports that the Astros are expected to be a very aggressive team this offseason, which should make things very interesting at the upcoming Winter Meetings. While they’re not surrounded by veteran players like a team such as the Cubs or Red Sox, they have a young core than has a bright future ahead of them.
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Houston’s fans are waiting for their chance to celebrate. If they continue to make the right moves, it may just be a matter of time before they get their turn.