Houston Astros Bolster Infield Depth, Sign Utilityman to Minor League Deal

The Houston Astros have signed a utilityman to a minor league deal, bolstering their infield depth.

Jul 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Zack Short (59) in the field against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Truist Park / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

At this point in the offseason, the Houston Astros aren't expected to make more headlining moves.

They pulled off two already when they shipped their superstar right fielder out of town and handed one of the best free agent first basemen a contract.

Now, with salary back at the forefront of the organization's mind considering they're projected to be a luxury tax offender for the second straight year, the remainder of deals that get made are likely going to be on the fringes.

That's exactly what happened when they signed utilityman Zack Short to a minor league deal, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

This move bolsters their depth, bringing in a player with 219 Major League games under his belt across his four seasons in The Show.

Short was a 16th-round pick of the Chicago Cubs back in 2016, and after four years in the minors, he was shipped to the Detroit Tigers ahead of the trade deadline in 2020.

The infielder spent three seasons with the Tigers, slashing .174/.266/.308 with 13 homers and 55 RBI across 177 games and 450 plate appearances for an abysmal 60 OPS+ that's 40 points below the league average.

When he was designated for assignment in November 2023, the New York Mets claimed him off waivers, starting the journeyman stage of his career that saw him play with the Mets, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves in 2024.

Short doesn't bring much to the table offensively, but he is solid on defense.

He has a career 1.2 defensive bWAR while playing every infield positions except for first base, and he's gotten into two games at right field and center each.

The 29-year-old isn't expected to have a major role with Houston during this upcoming season, but this move bolsters their depth and gives them another option in case of injury.