The Houston Astros won the World Series on Saturday and celebrated through Monday, the day of the parade.
At this point, however, people at the front office are back to work because there are important decisions to make with the future of the roster in mind.
Two players that won their rings with the Astros a few days ago, Trey Mancini and Will Smith, are no longer part of the organization and entered the free agent market.
“News: Trey Mancini and Will Smith are officially free agents following option decisions by the #Astros,” MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted.
News: Trey Mancini and Will Smith are officially free agents following option decisions by the #Astros. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 9, 2022
Mancini was acquired via trade with the Baltimore Orioles before the deadline and was expected to serve as the designated hitter.
Two Easy Decisions
His performance didn’t warrant too much playing time, but he showed a good glove in the postseason with a couple of great plays in the World Series.
Smith was part of the World Series roster but didn’t pitch, as he was buried behind a deep and talented bullpen depth chart.
The slugger had a $10 million mutual option, but is instead getting a $250,000 buyout and is officially free to look for another opportunity around the league.
Smith’s decision was even easier: the team held a $13 million team option, a hefty price to pay for a reliever, and since they didn’t pick it up, the left-hander is getting a $1 million buyout.
The Astros’ challenge is to make an already elite roster even stronger so they can have a chance to compete and repeat their World Series championship in 2023.
Everybody will want to take the trophy off their hands, but if they do the right moves, the Astros will enter 2023 as favorites once again.
NEXT: Alex Bregman Has A Great Label For The City Of Houston