Houston Astros Could Wait Until Mid-January To Make Additional Moves

It could be a while before the Houston Astros make another move this offseason.

Jul 31, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown addresses the media in the dugout prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Minute Maid Park / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have made their decision about the future of their franchise.

With them getting back a solid package for Kyle Tucker and handing Christian Walker a $60 million deal, that means the Alex Bregman era is over.

It's just the latest example of an Astros star departing the franchise that drafted and developed them because they were offered more money elsewhere.

Bregman hasn't officially signed with another team, but nobody is expecting Houston to offer him the contract it would take to get him back, especially with there being no clear hole on this roster with Walker at first base and 2024 All-Star Isaac Paredes being acquired to man the hot corner.

Rumors and connections will be floated out there about who else they could potentially bring in - Anthony Santander being the latest - but it's much more likely they have completed all of their major moves for the winter and will turn their attention to the upcoming season.

In fact, Astros writer Michael Schwab of The Juice Box Journal thinks they are done adding even minor league deals until after Jan. 9 when they get a better idea of what their payroll will look like since that is arbitration filing day.

Once they know what types of contracts they have to shell out in arbitration, Houston's front office can then look at some other options to bolster their depth for the long year ahead.

What positions that might be isn't quite clear yet.

Pitching is always a need for every organization, but since the Astros have a plethora of arms based on who performed well this past season and who is returning from injury, they could also look into adding more lineup options.

Houston's farm system continues to be one of the weakest in the sport, so adding some minor league Triple-A players who can fill in if someone gets hurt or is performing poorly would be ideal.