3 free agents Astros can sign to redeem themselves and win the 2025 World Series

The Houston Astros' first season under Joe Espada ended prematurely with a first-round loss to the Detroit Tigers. We are used to penciling Houston into the ALCS every October, but those days are behind us. The Astros are approaching a fascinating inflection point as an organization and could look wildly different next season.

Dana Brown has been fairly forthcoming with his plans to cut payroll and "balance" the Astros' financial commitments. After big-money contracts for Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and others, Houston appears to be done spending top dollar. That is, at least until Kyle Tucker hits the open market a year from now. He probably gets a nice payday to stick around.

That brings into question the future of several key Houston free agents, such as Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander. It also means we should temper expectations for how aggressively the Astros operate in the marketplace. Just last winter, the Astros dropped $95 million on a reliever. That kind of splurge doesn't seem as likely this time around.

The Astros are absolutely still built to contend, so this sudden change in strategy is a bit... unexpected. It's not a coincidence that Houston lost in the first round for the first time in almost a decade and now appears to be reevaluating things. Those expecting a quiet, cut-and-dry offseason in Houston will be sorely disappointed. The landscape of this Astros squad is about to shift considerably.

Here are a few names worth keeping tabs on as the Astros look to get back to the World Series in 2025.

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3. RF Anthony Santander

Again, we should all be skeptical of Houston's willingness to spend top dollar in free agency and Anthony Santander has earned a considerable volume of cash. The Baltimore Orioles vet put together the best season of his career just in time for a new contract, slashing .235/.308/.506 with 44 home runs and 102 RBIs.

It is more than fair to wonder if Santander can maintain that level of production. His slugging numbers have been trending in the right direction for a couple years, but this is very much a one-off in the broader context of Santander's career so far. That said, at 29 years old, the rightfielder should have plenty left in the tank. Even if his home run numbers take a step back in 2025, this season was quietly Santander's worst in batting average since 2018. He should stabilize (even improve) in other areas.

The Astros can't count on Jason Heyward sticking around or being very productive next season, so outfield depth is an immediate priority. Santander is set-and-forget quality opposite Kyle Tucker, who would presumably move to left field. He's not exactly a Gold Glove candidate, but Santander can hold down the fort as a corner outfielder while bringing an immense boost to Houston's offensive profile.

Stacking Yordan Alvarez and Anthony Santander in the middle of the lineup would strike fear into pitching staffs leaguewide. Houston probably gets outbid in the end, but Santander won't quite reach the apex of free agent deals handed out this winter. He's a tier-two star and the Astros in any other year would be an easy match due to their history of spending big.

2. 1B Paul Goldschmidt

The Astros spent all season trying to find a suitable option at first base and never really succeeded. There is absolutely room for an upgrade and few free agents harbor more cachet than Paul Goldschmidt, who is not expected to re-sign with the newly forward-thinking St. Louis Cardinals.

Just a couple years ago, Goldschmidt was National League MVP and one of the most feared bats in the league. Now, at 37 years old, the decline has begun in full force. Goldschmidt just was not up to his typically high standards this season, slashing .245/.302/.414 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. Not bad, but certainly not on the level we're accustomed to.

That said, Goldschmidt finished stronger than he started and the resume is difficult to overlook. In addition to that MVP award, Goldy is a four-time Gold Glove winner at first and he's a seven-time All-Star. He finished the campaign in the 92nd percentile for hard-hit rate (49.6 percent), so there's no doubting Goldschmidt's ability to crack leather when the opportunity arises.

This is the perfect meeting point between obvious talent and affordability for Houston. Goldschmidt's age will prevent him from getting a massive contract — he's one-year rental material — but his bat can absolutely change the fortunes of this Astros squad, especially when sandwiched between all the explosive hitters in the front half of Houston's lineup.

With Alex Bregman presumably on his way out the door, Houston will need more slugging to keep the offense humming at max capacity. Goldschmidt is a name to watch, without a doubt.

1. SP Blake Snell

Blake Snell was the best pitcher in baseball after the All-Star break. Over his last 10 starts, Snell went 5-0 with a 1.44 ERA and .130 opposing batting average, netting 84 strikeouts in 56.1 innings. The southpaw was on another plain of existence — which included his first career complete game in an Aug. 2 no-hitter against the Reds.

That was more than enough to make front offices and fans alike forget about Snell's god-awful first couple of months. After waiting until spring training to sign a contract with the San Francisco Giants, Snell was beset by injuries and rust in the early going. Snell has always been a second-half pitcher, but the split was more egregious than ever in 2024.

Who cares, though? If he's this dominant at the end of the season, most teams will gladly accept a tepid beginning. Snell was NL Cy Young in 2023 and he's one of the most dominant arms in baseball at his peak, point blank. The Astros, again, could bump up against their self-imposed financial restrictions, but Snell would dramatically improve what is already a rock-solid rotation.

Yusei Kikuchi and Justin Verlander are both free agents, so there will be slots opening up in the Astros' regular-season rotation. The three-headed monster of Snell, Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown might be unmatched in the American League. Depth in the pitching staff is the surest way to build a contender. Houston won't lack slugging next season, but Snell shores up the bullpen collective and launches the Astros back into the World Series conversation.