4 Left-Handed Hitting Outfielders for Houston Astros To Target Ahead of Season

The Houston Astros should strongly consider one of these four players to fill their outfield void.

Sep 24, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Jason Heyward (22) reacts after hitting a two run home run against the Seattle Mariners in the fifth inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Coming into the offseason, the outfield was a need for the Houston Astros; it became an even bigger one when the team decided to trade right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs.

Without the All-Star in the mix, the Astros have the least intimidating group of outfielders in baseball.

As things currently stand, their starters are Jake Meyers, Chas McCormick and Taylor Trammell with Mauricio Dubon all in the mix. Yordan Alvarez could get some innings in left field as well, but will be deployed mostly as a designated hitter.

There have been some wild reports of Jose Altuve being willing to move out to left field if the team were able to bring back Alex Bregman.

Regardless of what happens with the star third baseman, Houston is in need of some help in the grass, specifically for a left-handed bat.

Who could they target?

Here are four left-handed-hitting outfielders the Astros should pursue ahead of the 2025 season.

Alex Verdugo

If Houston is willing to take a risk on a player coming off a down year to bounce back, Verdugo is a good fit.

He was a solid everyday player in four seasons with the Boston Red Sox before landing with the New York Yankees in 2024. His production after a very strong start fell off a cliff, as he ended up putting together the least productive campaign of his career.

Turning only 29 years old in May, it is conceivable that he just had a down performance and he could return to form. It would certainly be a risk, but at the very least, the Astros would be getting a player they know can handle the job defensively in left field even if his production at the plate is a little shaky.

Jake McCarthy

The soft-hitting 27-year-old isn’t going to come close to replicating the production at the plate Tucker provided, but he is a very strong defender in right field. His speed is a legitimate weapon as well, an underrated part of the departed star's game.

McCarthy has stolen at least 23 bases in three straight seasons, helping replace the 11-plus steals that Tucker recorded in four consecutive campaigns.

The price to acquire him in a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks will be more than other veterans who could be available on the market. But, it could be worth the price.

McCarthy doesn’t have extreme splits like some players, so he could handle an everyday role in the outfield. He is also under team control for four more seasons.

Jason Heyward

After being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Heyward ended 2024 with Houston, appearing in 24 games and starting one of the Wild Card contests against the Detroit Tigers.

He hit four home runs in the regular season, but his production at the plate was underwhelming overall. However, he remains an excellent defensive player and can still be useful as the left-handed side of a platoon.

Pairing him with Meyers, who performs much better against left-handed pitching than right, could create multi-WAR production in the outfield for the Astros to overcome the loss of Tucker.

Mike Yastrzemski

If Houston is looking solely for offensive production in an outfield addition, the San Francisco Giants veteran is a great player to target.

Yastrzemski came up in trade rumors earlier this offseason as the Giants were open to offers. He would bring a veteran presence to the clubhouse and has been incredibly consistent at the plate in his six years in the Major Leagues.

He has recorded double-digit home runs each of those seasons, draws walks at a solid clip, has a career OPS+ of 114 and has produced a WAR of at least 2.0 each year.

The asking price on him wouldn’t be astronomical, and with a salary of $9.25 million, he could fit right into the salary that was opened by the Ryan Pressly trade.

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