Top five potential free agent fits for the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are in a great place. 2015 brought with it the club’s first postseason trip since 2005, and while the Astros fell short of navigating past the ALDS, they had plenty of reasons to be satisfied with their year. Shortstop Carlos Correa won AL Rookie of the Year honors, lefty Dallas Keuchel was named the AL Cy Young recipient, and a still-rich minor-league system has them primed to contend for years to come.
Heading into 2016, they have some issues that require addressing before they can consider the roster fully equipped to make noise again next season. GM Jeff Luhnow has said lately that team payroll may increase, so if he and his staff look to the free agent market they’ll have plenty of options. Here are five intriguing players that could make a difference for the Astros should the club look their way.
1. Alex Gordon
The longtime Kansas City Royals outfielder is a free agent and may be paid more than the Royals are willing to spend to retain his services. Should the Astros really want to make a splash, they ought to look no further. Gordon, 31, is a three-time All-Star, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner and provides steady leadership on offense and defense. Given his age, he also might command less money on the market than Jason Heyward, another top outfielder that would otherwise be a solid option for the Astros. In 2015, Gordon hit .271/.377/.432 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI in 104 games in K.C., though an injury slowed down his second-half production a bit.
Not counting his 2015 injury, Gordon has been a healthy contributor in recent years, appearing in no less than 151 games every season between 2011 and 2014. The injury in 2015 zapped his WAR a bit (it was 2.8 a season after he posted a stellar 6.6 WAR in '14), but he’s still one of the most attractive free agent outfielders on the market and would suit a team such as the Astros very nicely. A caveat, however: adding Gordon likely wouldn't come without another move, given that Houston retained Colby Rasmus with a one-year deal for 2016 and also has Carlos Gomez on the roster.
2. Scott Kazmir
Lefty Scott Kazmir had an inconsistent few months in Houston after coming over in a trade with the Oakland Athletics in July. He wound up 2-6 with a 4.17 ERA in 13 starts, though he did pitch well on a few occasions. After signing a two-year deal with Oakland prior to 2014, Kazmir was a big late-season acquisition for the Astros’ playoff push in the final months of that contract. Should Houston be looking to bring him back, he’d likely cost less than some other free agent pitchers for the middle-to-back of a rotation, hurlers such as Yovani Gallardo and Tim Lincecum – though both right-handers would also be adequate-to-solid additions to the Astros’ pitching staff if signed.
3. Tyler Clippard
The Astros’ bullpen was a capable component to the roster for much of 2015, though it faltered a bit down the stretch and had a few rough outings in the postseason. Clippard, who spent the last few months with the New York Mets after coming over in a trade with the A’s, would slide into a late-inning role. While the Astros are most likely looking for a hard-throwing reliever (something they could address on the trade market), Clippard is more of a finesse off-speed expert that isn’t unlike current closer Luke Gregerson.
Whether that might affect the Astros’ potential interest in Clippard remains to be seen, but he’s a proven and mostly consistent reliever that will be picked up by some team looking for late-inning stability this offseason.
4. Tony Sipp
The Astros received quite a bargain when they picked up Tony Sipp on a minor deal in May 2014. After posting solid numbers in that season, Sipp was a heavily-used option for manager A.J. Hinch in 2015. He finished the year with a 1.99 ERA in just over 54 innings of work, striking out 62 in the process. He held right-handed batters to a .190/.243/.370 clip while limiting lefties to .227/.290/.309, figures that will likely provide him with many interested suitors on the free agent market. He’ll obviously cost more to bring back than he cost to acquire in 2014, but given the Astros’ current lack of other left-handed relievers Sipp may be worth the price.
5. Wei-Yin Chen
If Houston desires an additional southpaw to complement Keuchel in the rotation and doesn’t want to rely on Kazmir and his iffy injury history, the club could look to Wei-Yin Chen to fill the gap. Chen, though, is likely going to receive a lucrative deal on the free agent market thanks to a few solid seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. In 2015, Chen went 11-8 with a 3.34 ERA a season after going 16-6 with a 3.54 in 2014. He did allow 25 home runs to right-handed batters in 2015, which would potentially be an issue at Minute Maid Park due to its hitter-friendly conditions.
Still, Chen is widely considered one of the more attractive lefties on the market and would fit perfectly behind Keuchel and Collin McHugh in the middle of the rotation if the club has the money.
