Houston Astros Eye AL Team Star but Potential $100 Million Price Tag Looms

The Houston Astros lineup would benefit from signing the switch-hitter in the offseason.

Sep 19, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Anthony Santander (25) greeted by third base coach Tony Mansolino (36) following his game winning two run home run in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros need to improve their lineup moving forward, especially if they lose Alex Bregman. While they have a few elite hitters on their roster, as they saw throughout the campaign, the bottom half of their lineup wasn't as good as it needed to be.

That's where a name like Anthony Santander could come into play.

Santander, a switch hitter, would be an excellent addition to the middle of this lineup. Factor in how he could protect others in the lineup due to being a switch hitter, and opposing teams would have a tough time pitching to the Astros. 

The issue is that Santander could be looking at a $100-plus million deal, and if they want to bring Bregman back, it's uncertain how much money they'd be willing to spend elsewhere.

Houston hasn't made many financial commitments to free agents in the past, posing some questions about their plan moving forward. 

If there's ever been time to spend, it's right now.

The Astros dynasty had some hiccups throughout 2024, but if they want to keep competing moving forward, they need to make changes.

Santander would help with that, but there will be competition to land him.

Elijah Evans of Just Baseball named him a player who earned a pay raise with his performance, highlighting that he could earn $100 million.

"While he was already a productive piece in Baltimore the past two seasons, I don’t think anyone expected Santander to finish third in MLB with 44 home runs. He was the second-best hitter in a talented Orioles lineup this year, and he’s set to cash in... With many contending teams needing power impact in their lineup (as we have seen this postseason), there’s reason to believe Santander will reach the $100 million mark and possibly even slightly beyond. Before this year, he would not have been near that level."

On one hand, $100 million would be a fair price for a guy who hit 44 home runs. On the other hand, there's also an argument that Santander wouldn't be the perfect fit for certain teams. 

For Houston, the question would be whether they'd be willing to deal with Santander's defensive issues, as he's average on that side of the baseball.

Oftentimes, teams are content with below-average defense when a hitter swings the bat at the level he does.

There are a few other names they should look to target, but Santander would be an excellent fit. They'd also steal him from one of the best teams in the American League, which has benefits.