Houston Astros Rumored Target Predicted To Sign for Less Than $100 Million

The Houston Astros could potentially replace Kyle Tucker for less than $100 million.
Aug 30, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (25) celebrates his double in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Aug 30, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (25) celebrates his double in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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2024 was one of the first seasons in which the Houston Astros lineup wasn't among the elite in Major League Baseball.

There were points throughout the campaign where the Astros lineup played at a decent level, but for the most part, and when it mattered most, they didn't swing the bat like they have done in the past.

That was due to a few reasons, but mainly because there wasn't much production after the first four or five hitters in the batting order. 

Looking ahead, the loss of Kyle Tucker doesn't bring any confidence that things will change.

They made some decent moves this winter, and guys like Christian Walker should help ease the burden a bit, but asking anybody to replace a player of Tucker's caliber would be unfair to all involved. 

From an outfield standpoint, Houston isn't in a great position. If anything, one could argue the outfield unit is one of the worst in baseball, and metric predictions back that up.

The Astros have time to make another move, but their unwillingness to spend over recent years doesn't bring any confidence in that happening.

Still, if somebody like Anthony Santander falls right into their lap, it'd be questionable not to get a deal done. 

His price is only going down with most teams having a set roster heading into Spring Training, making it the perfect time for Houston to get involved. 

However, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report doesn't think he'll end up with the Astros, predicting Santander to sign a five-year, $89 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

"The primary teams believed to still be in on Santander are the Blue Jays, Angels and Red Sox ... Toronto still feels like the spot, though. The Jays desperately need some slugging after a season in which Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was their only player with 20 or more home runs, and both the LF and DH spots in their lineup are relatively up for grabs at the moment."

Santander has flaws on the defensive side of the baseball, but $17.8 million AAV for someone who's only improved each step of the way and is coming off a 44-home run showing would be a steal.

He had career-high numbers in 2024, but there are always worries about players playing at their peak during contract seasons.

Even if Houston got the 2023 version of Santander, he was a 121 OPS+ bat and hit 28 home runs.

For three straight seasons, he has posted an OPS+ of 120 or higher, making him the perfect fit for a roster that needs a slugger in the worst way.


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Jon Conahan
JON CONAHAN

Jon Conahan has been covering all major sports since 2019. He is a 2022 graduate of the Bellisario School of Journalism at Penn State University and previously played D1 baseball.