Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Should Prioritize José Abreu in Free Agency This Winter

The Houston Astros should be active in the MLB free agent market this winter and they should be targeting José Abreu.

Kade Kistner

Houston Astros Should Prioritize José Abreu in Free Agency This Winter
Houston Astros Should Prioritize José Abreu in Free Agency This Winter /
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The Houston Astros may need to look for a new first baseman this winter as Yuli Gurriel and Trey Mancini could both become free agents at the end of the season.

Gurriel is about to finish his one-year, $7 million contract, while Mancini has a $10 million mutual option for 2023. It seems likely that neither will return if another option, a better option, presents itself.

That option may just be José Abreu who may be allowed to walk away from the Chicago White Sox and into free agency. Spotrac has his current market value in the one-year, $9.1 million range. Right in between that of Gurriel and Mancini's current contracts. 

Abreu, at age 35, slashed .304/.378/.446 and hit 15 home runs during the 2022 MLB season. He will be 36 entering next season, but it's hard seeing his production falling off a proverbial cliff in just one season.

Likewise, his production in 2022 far outpaced that of Gurriel's or Mancini's. In terms of OPS+ where the league average is 100, Abreu recorded a 133, just one under his career average. Gurriel and Mancini recorded an 84 and a 101 OPS+, respectively.

In what would be a similar, or perhaps even cheaper cost, the Astros could immediately upgrade at the position with a player that could be had on a one-year deal.

Abreu profiles as the type of player Houston routinely targets during the winter and his appetite for winning could play well for a team that has now been to six-straight American League Championship Series. 

More From SI's Inside The Astros:

  1. Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Houston Astros?
  2. Report: Former Astros Pitcher Fiers' Contract Terminated By CPBL Club
  3. Can the Houston Astros Handle the Loss of Yordan Álvarez?
  4. Is There Any Hope for an Aging Yuli Gurriel?
  5. Grading the Houston Astros MLB Trade Deadline Transactions
  6. Jeremy Peña isn't Competing for Rookie of the Year, And That's a Good Thing
  7. Houston Astros Poised to Make Another World Series Run
  8. Mancini Mania: Behind the Houston Astros' Latest Streak of History
  9. Trey Mancini Gives Houston Astros a Much Deeper Lineup
  10. Astros' Álvarez Stopped Striking Out and Became the Best Hitter in Baseball

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Published
Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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