The World Series Champion, Houston Astros, wasted no time improving their roster at the start of free agency.
After re-signing reliever Rafael Montero, they added one of the best first basemen on the market in Jose Abreu.
Abreu will plug right into the middle of their lineup and make this team even more dangerous than last year.
But, what other moves should the Astros be looking to make?
With the MLB winter meetings on the cusp, here are two moves the Astros need to make this offseason.
Bring Back Justin Verlander
It would be a surprise if the Astros are not able to bring back AL Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander next season.
Not only did Verlander show he can still pitch at a high level during the regular season, but he had the best World Series of his career.
The talks around the league seem to be that Verlander is open to moving on from Houston.
The New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers have even spoken to him this offseason.
Justin Verlander will meet with the Dodgers today, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/r8FSxChc8A
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) November 28, 2022
It would be smart for Houston to keep their championship window open as long as possible.
So bringing back Verlander for another season or two makes plenty of sense.
Find An Offense First Catcher
One reason why Houston’s pitching staff has been so good over the past few seasons is due to elite defensive catcher Martin Maldonado.
But, when Maldonado is in the lineup, he provides almost nothing to them offensively.
The Astros traded for Christian Vasquez at last year’s trade deadline to try and get more production from that position.
But, now that Vasquez is a free agent of his own, Houston needs to find a replacement.
Three names that should interest them are Willson Contreras, Mike Zunino, and Gary Sanchez.
The Astros are in discussions with catcher Willson Contreras and plan to meet with him at the winter meetings, a source tells @Ken_Rosenthal.
More on the free agent market ⤵️https://t.co/PUnK7OAE8x
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) November 30, 2022
All of those catchers have pop, with Contreras being the one that would take the everyday role away from Maldonado.
Zunino and Sanchez would be best used as a platoon, so they are more likely options.
Either way, the Astros need to find an offensive catcher to further bolster their star-studded lineup.
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