Houston Astros
While the Tigers are mourning the love they never had, the Astros are mourning the love they lost. Bregman was a key component of the Astros’ World Series titles in 2017 and 2023, but it always felt like his departure was imminent even as they made a compelling final offer for him to stay.
The drama included a failed trade for Nolan Arenado and a successful one for Isaac Paredes last December. But it also still leaves a giant void that could be filled by an All-Star bat.
The Astros are hoping that Paredes can be that guy. A former All-Star with the Tampa Bay Rays, Paredes hit .238/.346/.393 with 19 home runs and 80 RBI last season but slumped to .223/.325/.307 with three homers and 25 RBI in 52 games after he was traded to the Chicago Cubs.
Houston’s vision sees Paredes using his pull-happy approach to shoot lasers into the Crawford Boxes at Daikin Park. But his contact rates haven’t translated to screaming power with an average exit velocity of 85 mph, according to Baseball Savant.
Left-handers like Devers have a more difficult time in Houston than at Fenway Park, but Devers has the power to hit it out of any park. If Paredes falters, Devers could step in and give the Astros the bat they’re looking for, and they’ve shown a tendency of going all-in before.
After almost acquiring Arenado, their third base situation is one to monitor and could be the focal point for a midseason blockbuster trade.