All of Houston Astros Superstars Could Become Available Via Trade

The Houston Astros could look to move some of their superstars this offseason if they want to begin a rebuild.

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros find themselves at a crossroads this offseason.

For the better part of the last decade, they have steamrolled their way through the American League en route to seven consecutive ALCS appearances, four World Series appearances, and two championship banners being brought back to the city.

But all dominant runs across any sport come to an end eventually, and the Astros are faced with the decision this winter whether to keep chasing success or begin a rebuild coming off their toughest season in this era of success.

Much of this revolves around what Houston is willing to offer free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, and by all accounts the sides are far apart in their negotiations.

If the Astros decided to let their franchise cornerstone walk this winter, it would be a smoke signal to other teams they might be open for business and would be willing to deal some of their hottest commodities.

Two players in particular who could be on the block are two of the team's biggest stars; ace pitcher Framber Valdez and right fielder Kyle Tucker.

Both are expected to make in the $15 million range in their final year of arbitration and both will hit free agency after this season where they will command megadeals, something the Bregman negotiations are reaffirming Jim Crane does not hand over easily.

Simply put, unless the team believes they can win a championship in 2025, there's no real reason to keep both.

Astros general manager Dana Brown didn't do much on the first official day of the Winter Meetings to quell the nerves of fans who don't want to see the stars dealt, saying via Chandler Rome of The Athletic that the team is going to "listen on anybody" when asked about the possibility of dealing Tucker and Valdez specifically.

Tucker, who has been an All-Star the last three seasons, had one of the best years of his career statistically in 2024 with a personal best .993 OPS, but he played just 78 games due to a shin fracture that held him out for months.

In his last full season in 2023, he finished top-five in American League MVP voting with a 5.4 WAR and an .886 OPS.

Valdez, on the other hand, is coming off another stellar performance in which he posted a 2.91 ERA over 28 starts. Over the last three years, he has thrown over 575 innings in 90 starts and has been the hallmark of consistency in Houston's rotation.

Both players are stars and would fetch serious returns on the trade block.

If the Astros do let Bregman walk and waive the white flag on the end of an era, signing either, let alone both, to a long term deal that keeps them in Houston beyond next season seems unlikely.

As painful as it may be, getting a huge return for the stars now may be the best way to go about it.