The Houston Astros have had several key players from their World Series championship team hit the free agent market.
Catcher Christian Vazquez, pitcher Justin Verlander, designated hitter Trey Mancini, and first baseman Yuli Gurriel are all now free agents.
But it appears that the Astros will be moving swiftly to replace them.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Astros have first baseman Anthony Rizzo on their radar as they look to replace Gurriel.
Rizzo has spent parts of two seasons with the New York Yankees.
The slugger recently opted out of the second year of his two-year contract and now is on Houston’s radar.
The Astros have their eyes set on Anthony Rizzo 👀@jonmorosi joins the show with the latest on the World Series champs looking to bolster their lineup even more.#MLBNHotStove | #LevelUp pic.twitter.com/2LbbRyn65b
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 15, 2022
Astros Checking In On Rizzo
Rizzo would give the Astros a veteran lefty bat and a solid replacement for Gurriel.
Rizzo was a member of the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship team.
If Houston ultimately signs Rizzo, their infield will consist of him, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, and ALCS and World Series MVP Jeremy Pena, which would be among the best in all of baseball.
Rizzo hit just .224 during the regular season, but hit 32 home runs, drove in 75, and posted an OPS of .818.
The former World Series champion also had 54 extra-base hits and 21 doubles and logged 223 total bases.
The Astros would also have three solid lefty bats in their lineup if they were to sign Rizzo, as he would join Kyle Tucker and MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez in what is already a stacked lineup.
Rizzo’s market should start to take shape relatively soon.
Houston would certainly be an interesting fit.
NEXT: The Astros Were Carried By A Dynamic Duo In The Postseason