3 Astros free agents who will leave, 2 who will stay in 2024

Michael Brantley will depart Astros after disappointing, injury-riddled season

The Astros signed Michael Brantley to a one-year contract worth $12 million before the season. The expectation was that, after missing over half the 2022 season due to injury, Brantley could return to the All-Star form he displayed in 2021. Alas, Houston was gravely disappointed. Injuries once again struck, limiting Brantley to 15 regular season games and 57 plate appearances.

Left field has been relentlessly highlighted as a potential area of improvement for the Astros. With Brantley's health being so unreliable, there's simply no reason for the front office to spend top dollar on the 36-year-old. Brantley has a robust résumé and a history of postseason success, but he's simply not worthy of another Astros investment at this stage of his career.

Instead, Brantley will have to pitch his short-term upside to prospective employers elsewhere in the league. We have seen several contenders benefit from one-year reclamation projects in the past (Cody Bellinger, anyone?), so perhaps Brantley can latch on with an optimistic front office and a manager that's willing to empower him once he's healthy. That said, it's not exactly the smartest bet.

Whether Houston simply explores rotation-level outfielders, or a legitimate star investment in left field (... Cody Bellinger, anyone?), the writing is on the wall for Brantley. The injuries aren't his fault and it has been an unfortunate stain on an otherwise impressive career, but his time with Houston is done.