Potential Houston Astros Kyle Tucker Replacement Open to Short-Term Deal

The Houston Astros have a weak spot in their outfield after trading Kyle Tucker. Tucker, one of the better hitters in the sport, is nearly impossible to replace.

The Astros can’t do anything but attempt to replicate his production, but they had to understand when they moved him that it wouldn’t be likely to accomplish that.

On the free agency market, there aren’t any players of Tucker’s caliber available. However, in some sense, Houston could replace him with Anthony Santander. The switch-hitting outfielder, despite hitting 44 home runs last season, isn’t comparable to Tucker in some areas.

From a pure hitter and defensive standpoint, the former Astros star is that good. Santander, even in a perfect world, wouldn’t be what Tucker was for Houston.

However, for a cheaper price, he could be an excellent solution. Reports initially indicated that Santander could be looking at a long-term deal for $100 plus million.

Now, in a recent report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Santander is open to a short-term deal with high AAV and opt-outs that allow him to explore the market later.

Why is Santander open to this now? The market has evolved to the point where Santander is the top available hitter. But some teams aren’t sold on him being a long-term solution. He’s coming off a career season, which is always a red flag for a free agent. He also doesn’t possess Tucker’s defensive reputation.

In Houston, Santander would have to play in the outfield because the majority of the designated hitter at-bats are going to go to Yordan Alvarez, who is one of the best hitters in baseball. Keeping him in the lineup and lessening his risk of injury is of great importance to the Astros.

This doesn’t mean that Santander won’t get the long-term deal he truly desires. As Rosenthal reported, he likely won’t turn to this solution until he’s exhausted that market. But, as of now, there are only a few teams reportedly interested in that type of a deal. The Astros could pounce on the market softness

The Astros World Series window seems to be closing. Adding Santander, say, on a one or two-year deal with an opt-out, could help maximize that.

It could cost about $25 million AAV, but if it’s only for a season, that might be what helps Houston get back to the top of the baseball world.