3 looming World Series champions Dana Brown should sign this winter to avoid Astros firing

The Houston Astros expected to still be playing baseball right now; it's been almost a decade since this franchise fell short of the LCS, after all. But that doesn't mean Dana Brown and Co. can afford to be sitting back and waiting for Hot Stove season: Houston might not be taking part in the World Series this year, but that shocking Wild Card sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers officially began what figures to be the most pivotal offseason in recent history. Alex Bregman is hitting free agency, and it's unclear how motivated the team is to bring him back. There's a glaring hole at first base. The clock has begun to tick on long-term deals for Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez — and some tough decisions should one or both opt to test the market next winter.

Questions abound, and while the offseason has yet to get rolling, that doesn't mean there isn't work to be done. Some answers might be found from players who are about to be on the sport's biggest stage; here are three pending free agents battling for a World Series ring that could make sense for the Astros this winter.

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3. OF Teoscar Hernandez

It's still more likely than not that the Astros and Tucker agree to a deal at some point this offseason. If they don't, though, Houston will suddenly be in the market for a backup plan, and Hernandez would fit the bill for a number of reasons. Familiarity, for starters: Hernandez started his career in the Astros system, and Brown was with the Toronto Blue Jays when the team acquired the outfielder from Houston at the 2017 trade deadline. It's safe to say that he's a fan of Hernandez as a player, and coming off his best offensive season to date — and given the uncertain futures of internal options like Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers — it's safe to say that he's a fit even if Tucker does stick around for the long haul.

2. RHP Walker Buehler

Houston isn't exactly lacking for pitching depth entering 2025, with the emergence of Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti and the potential returns of Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia, J.P. France, Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy. But there's also a lot of youth and injury risk in that list, and while it's unlikely the Astros go shopping at the top of the market, adding one more arm to the mix would make some sense (especially if contract talks with Valdez break down). That's where Buehler comes in: The righty has been through the injury wilderness over the last few years, but he's shown signs of looking like his old self during the Dodgers' postseason run. The further removed he gets from Tommy John surgery, the better he'll get, and he feels like an obvious buy-low candidate for a pitching development group that's hit for a very high average over the last few years. If Buehler's health track record scares teams away enough, he could be a real steal for a team like Houston.

1. INF Gleyber Torres

Hear me out here. No, Torres isn't about to supplant Jose Altuve at second base. But with so many balls in the air this winter and a very thin third-base market, it seems increasingly unlikely that Houston will be able to bring back Alex Bregman. There aren't a ton of replacement options via free agency or the trade market, but why not get creative and shift Torres over to the hot corner? He dabbled at the position as a Minor Leaguer, and the New York Yankees briefly considered a move when the team acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the trade deadline. Torres is already a bit stretched as a middle infielder due to his limited range, and a move to third could ease the burden some while still giving the Astros an above-average bat at the position. If Bregman is indeed out the door, Brown's choices will be limited, and this might be the best one available.