At this point in the year, the Houston Astros appear to be playoff bound after they have overcome a lot of adversity and injuries in order to be in the position they’re currently in.
While they’re focused on finding a way to make a deep run in October, the front office is likely already planning what to do in the MLB offseason.
The Astros are going to be a very interesting team to watch in the winter.
Both Justin Verlander and Alex Bregman are expected to hit the open market. It’s likely Houston will be open to re-signing both of them, but there are other teams around the league who could swoop in and steal them away.
Regardless of what happens with those two players, the Astros could use more upgrades.
They will likely be in the market for another starting pitcher, as well as a first base option despite the continued rise of their former top prospect Jon Singleton.
With that in mind, there is one New York Mets player who could make a lot of sense for them to pursue as Luis Severino would be an intriguing free agency target for Houston.
Severino, a 30-year-old right-hander, has put together a quality season with the Mets in 2024. He’s the kind of free agency piece that could make a major impact, but won’t break the bank.
During this campaign, he has made 28 starts and compiled a 10-6 record to go along with a 3.74 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 2.6 K/BB ratio across his 166.0 innings pitched.
He’s no longer the strikeout pitcher he once was, however, he’s a quality arm who can eat up a lot of innings and be very consistent while doing so.
Pursuing a piece like Severino instead of one of the top-tier free agent starting pitchers could make sense. It would allow the Astros to save money in order to re-sign Bregman or bring in another bat.
Dana Brown has his work cut out for him.
There is no question that Houston is not the yearly World Series contender this season like they have been in recent years, so he and his front office will have a lot of work to do in order to get them to that point again.
That being said, with the right offseason moves, they can push their way back to the top of the American League standings in 2025.
Adding a pitcher like Severino would be a major help.
Don’t be surprised if the Astros end up being one of the teams showing interest in Severino when free agency opens up this winter.
