Astros: 3 free agents to sign and 1 to avoid

As the Houston Astros navigate their way through free agency, which free agents should they target this offseason?

The Houston Astros have already signed a huge name in this round of free agency as they decided to pay Justin Verlander for another season. But the Astros won’t be done there. They shouldn’t be as there are a few more holes they’ll need to fill.

Houston’s farm system isn’t exactly great and, if the Astros want to continue expanding their championship window, they’ll need to go out and address a few question marks sooner rather than later.

So, which players should Houston target this offseason? Let’s start with finding a more-than-suitable replacement for Zack Greinke.

Houston Astros free agency: 3 free agents Astros need to sign, 1 to avoid

Marcus Stroman would be a game-changer for Houston’s starting pitching rotation

While Marcus Stroman isn’t the youngest pitcher out there, he’s one of the best free agents available this year and he’s certainly more than talented enough to help improve Houston’s starting rotation.

Stroman, at 30-years-old, is coming off a campaign where he made 33 starts and posted a 3.02 ERA. Stroman managed to record a total of 158 strikeouts through 179 innings pitched.

That’ll be more than good enough to get just about every MLB team’s attention.

Stroman has been solid for a number of years. He didn’t play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he has managed to have a career 3.63 ERA and has 853 strikeouts across seven seasons.

While he’s not exactly at a phase where he’s going to be considering retiring, when considering his age and the struggling teams he’s played for, Stroman will almost certainly be interested in considering playing for a World Series contender. The Astros have made the World Series in three of the past five seasons and won it back in 2017.

With Stroman’s name alongside Verlander and Lance McCullers Jr., the Astros could potentially win it again in 2022.