Astros offseason analysis: Infield has 2 big things that need resolving. Jose Atuve and Alex Bregman Fingered.
Their earliest exit in eight years gives the Houston Astros a head start on plotting a return to contention next season.
This winter brings the potential for change, with familiar faces headed toward free agency and general manager Dana Brown vowing the team is “not taking anything off the table” in pursuit of improving its roster. It invites an overview of each position group and its outlook. Next, the infield:
2024 review: In perhaps their final season as teammates, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman anchored the group. Altuve played in 153 games, his most since 2017. While he ranked fourth among American League players in hits and ninth in runs, his 126 OPS-plus was his lowest in a full-length season since 2015.
Bregman endured the worst start of his career, then produced at rates akin to his career norms over the final four months. The impending free agent totaled a 118 OPS-plus and played through a late-season right elbow ailment.
First base proved a full-season problem for the Astros, who released José Abreu less than halfway through a three-year, $58 million deal and started eight different players who combined for a minus-3 WAR, per Baseball Reference. Jeremy Peña was the Astros’ closest thing to an everyday player, logging 157 starts at shortstop.
After a much-scrutinized adjustment in spring training, Peña posted a league average 100 OPS-plus as a hitter, while his durability came with mixed defensive metrics.
Area of strength: Bregman had a .589 OPS through May 27.
He posted an .862 OPS the rest of the way and ranked 10th among AL position players in Fangraphs WAR over that span.
Bregman rated sixth among qualified third basemen in Statcast’s outs above average and took on a more visible role helping Astros pitchers with game planning and feedback, with Hunter Brown and Yusei Kikuchi among those who credited Bregman with suggestions that aided their in-season surges.
It helped Houston win the AL West and reinforced what the team stands to lose if Bregman departs in free agency.
Area of struggle: Only three teams — the A’s, Reds and Yankees — extracted a lower OPS from their first basemen than Houston.
None rated worse in defensive runs saved at the position, according to Sports Info Solutions. Abreu was one factor but appeared in just 31 games before the Astros cut ties with him, a necessary move that exposed the lack of answers behind him.
Jon Singleton saw the most playing time at first base and had a 103 OPS-plus. Metrics panned Singleton’s defense, however, and the Astros started catcher Victor Caratini at first base in both of their playoff games.
That Yainer Diaz, Mauricio Dubón, rookie Zach Dezenzo, Grae Kessinger and Aledmys Díaz all appeared at first base for Houston this season underscored the issue.
Finding a solution at the position figures to be an offseason priority. The projected free-agent class has established names such as Pete Alonso, who figures to seek a megadeal, Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Santana.
Dezenzo’s playing first base in his small major league sample perhaps indicated Houston’s long-term vision for him.