4 Houston Astros who definitely won't be back after disastrous Wild Card flameout

The Houston Astros clawed their way back from a paltry start to the 2025 season to not only make the MLB Postseason but win the AL West and come into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the American League. But unfortunately for them, their postseason lives were short-lived, losing two straight to the upstart and red-hot Detroit Tigers to get eliminated in the Wild Card series.

Now, the Astros will be watching the rest of the postseason from home instead of moving on, as the Tigers are, to face the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS.

But for some of the Astros, Houston may not be their home for much longer. There are numerous key free agents who were on this roster, including several big names, who may have just played their last games for this organization. These four Astros players come to mind first as players who we won't see with the club come the start of the 2025 season.

4. RP Caleb Ferguson won't return after joining at trade deadline

Considering their run into the postseason, those who criticized the Astros for buying at the mid-summer deadline instead of selling off pieces look a bit foolish now. However, if the goal was to win the World Series, than Houston obviously fell short and, as such, we could see at least one of their trade acquisitions ultimately end up purely being a rental — and Caleb Ferguson might be the shining example of that.

Ferguson was a relatively cheap addition for the Astros, costing only Kelly Austin and international bonus pool money to land him from the Yankees at the deadline. But while Ferguson wasn't quite as bad with Houston as he was in New York (5.13 ERA in 42 games with the Yankees), he still was a bit erratic in his appearances down the stretch.

The 28-year-old southpaw appeared in 20 games and pitched 21.0 innings with the Astros, posting a decent 3.86 ERA but doing so with only a 1.476 WHIP over that span. He's not a game-changer for the bullpen in any regard and, as Houston and Dana Brown aim to improve their roster, I expect them to look for a middle or late-inning arm who can be a bit more reliable than Ferguson.

3. OF Jason Heyward will be looking for a new home in 2025

After veteran outfielder Jason Heyward was DFA'd by the Dodgers late in the year, the Astros swooped in amid need for depth in the outfield due to injuries and scooped up the 34-year-old. While it wasn't always consistent or all that spectacular, Heyward indeed looked the part of the fill-in that they needed to survive and push into the postseason.

Over 24 games and 61 plate appearances, Heyward hit only .218 for Houston but was able to do so with an above-average .756 OPS over that time and a 112 OPS+. He was exactly what this team needed in order to ultimately lock up the AL West coming into the playoffs. But the postseason itself, albeit brief, showed pretty much why Heyward won't be coming back in Houston.

Heyward got only three plate appearances over two games and was pinch-hit for in both outings against the Tigers. He struck out in two of his three trips to the dish and failed to get on base. At his age, he can still be a valuable depth piece for any number of teams but, as the Astros aim to invest more heavily in the likes of Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez, a big-ish name like Heyward at this stage of career doesn't make the most sense.

2. SP Justin Verlander's time with the Astros is coming to a close

Whenever the Justin Verlander return to Houston after his short stint with the Mets came about, everyone appeared to be ready to believe that the veteran, despite being over 40 years old, would come back and still be a linchpin for a potential World Series run. That undoubtedly was far from how things transpired for the future Hall of Fame hurler.

Not only was Verlander on the shelf dude to injuries for much of the year, ultimately being limited to just 17 starts and 90.1 innings on the year, he was nothing like the dominant ace we've long been accustomed to seeing on the bump. He finished his season with a 5.48 ERA and 1.384 WHIP, two of the highest marks of his career since his rookie season.

The fact that Verlander was left off of the Astros roster for the Wild Card Series against the Tigers tells you everything you need to know about the future of the veteran right-hander with this organization. The injuries and underperformance make it easy to wonder if his best days are behind him and, with some of the young arms that emerged in Houston this season, it's hard to envision the 41-year-old being part of their plans moving forward.

1. 3B Alex Bregman will get a payday from someone other than the Astros

Make no mistake, this one absolutely stings. Alex Bregman has been a stalwart figure in Houston and one of the embodiments of the Astros' immense success over the past half-decade. But in the offseason, it was often floated as the front office ultimately coming down to a decision of "Do we extend Jose Altuve or Alex Bregman?" Now that Altuve got his deal, it feels like that put the writing on the wall for Bregman.

What might make it a bit easier to swallow is that the two-time All-Star third baseman had a slightly down year by his standard, posting a .768 OPS, the lowest mark of his career, in the regular season, though he still had 26 home runs. Despite that, he figures to be one of the most lucrative free agents on the market this offseason with no shortage of suitors.

Subsequently, we get to why it was an Altuve or Bregman question for Houston. Whichever player they extended, that would only give the other more leverage in free agency to get an expensive contract that the Astros simply might not be able to afford. Bregman being in that spot all but assures fans that one of their favorites will be wearing another uniform come Opening Day of the 2025 season.