Houston Astros Outfielder Predicted To Be Shipped Out of Town This Offseason

The Houston Astros could move the outfielder and bring someone else in to replace him.

Sep 8, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros center fielder Chas McCormick (20) hits a single during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Most of the early offseason talk for the Houston Astros has been centered around the players they might add. However, there are a few scenarios in which the Astros could look to trade away some of the current players on their roster. 

To get things going, Houston didn't have the year they were looking to have. It was a tough start to the campaign, and as a result, they were battling back for much of the season. It was unfortunate, but things happen. 

Still, if they don't want to have that type of start again in 2025 and aren't happy with how things ended, which they shouldn't be, considering they didn't win a World Series, they need to move on from a few different players. 

Due to how poorly they played, it's only fair to suggest that some guys didn't play at the level they needed to. That was, in large part, a major reason why the team struggled. 

Outfielder Chas McCormick was at the top of that list.

McCormick, who once looked to be an above-average player for the Astros and somebody they could count on moving forward, had a campaign to forget. This was by far the worst season of his career, a significant issue for a player who posted a 130 OPS+ just the year before.

His trade value might not be anywhere near where it once was, but if Houston could get something back for him, that might be better than nothing. 

Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac believes that's a real possibility, naming him one of the offseason's top trade candidates. 

"After a mini-breakout in 2023, McCormick’s 2024 was a veritable disaster, compounded by a finger injury down the stretch. If he’s not moved (or non-tendered), McCormick’s time as an everyday player could be depleted in Houston. He’s arbitration-eligible through 2026."

For a guy like McCormick, trading him does and doesn't make sense. On one hand, there's a chance that a team would be willing to give him an opportunity and send back a decent Big League player if the Astros were willing to add prospects to the mix.

If they want to better their farm system, they could also get an average prospect with upside in return.

There are many reasons to move on from him, but it's also important to remember that they have to replace him. He doesn't look like an everyday player anyway, but that's still one less body on the roster, at the very least.