Astros might be targeting a George Springer replacement

The Houston Astros appear to have set their focus on finding a replacement for George Springer

MLB Hot Stove season has officially begun as of last Sunday, and it’s been rather quiet thus far, barring the Toronto Blue Jays re-signing pitcher Robbie Ray. Teams in need of a big bat will no doubt be making offers to Houston Astros center fielder George Springer. Rumors have surfaced that Springer has no desire to return to H-Town, as he’ll likely go to whichever team makes him the largest offer. But how do the Astros replace him? We got an easy answer on Sunday.

Rob Bradford of WEEI reports that the Astros are “showing strong interest” in Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. That would be the perfect replacement for Springer.

JBJ in H-Town makes some sense

Look, keeping Springer would be the ideal option for the Astros, but they’re going to have to outbid a ton of other teams in need of a strong outfield bat. It’s hard to envision Houston being able to outbid the New York Mets, who have an owner in Steve Cohen who seems willing to spend all of the money. Luckily for the Astros, the outfielder market is deep, and Bradley is the next best option.

Bradley is coming off the best season of his career in 2020. Through 55 games this season, the outfielder slashed .283/.364/.450 with seven home runs and 22 RBI. Perhaps the best aspect of signing Bradley is that he’s one of the best defensive outfielders in the league, as he has a Gold Glove award to his credit. Springer does not hold that distinction, even though he’s a good defender. Either way, that won’t be a deal-breaker for those looking to sign him to a lucrative, longterm contract. But hey, Bradley does carry an advantage over Springer.

Seeing Springer don another uniform will no doubt sting for Astros fans. Yet, they have to accept that re-signing him is out of the realm of possibility. If the Astros are to lose out on him, they have a solid backup option in Bradley, who will come at a much cheaper price, which will allow the team to address their other positions of need this offseason.