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Houston Astros Linked to Veteran Utility Man in Free Agency
While much of the attention given towards the Houston Astros right now is surrounding if they will or will not trade their ace Framber Valdez, the front office could still be focusing on adding other additions.
Coming into the offseason, their primary goals were to add depth in the bullpen and at catcher.
They signed a catcher and are still in the process of becoming comfortable with their relief options as they try not to overspend and go over the luxury tax threshold.
But, the Astros have also been a really deep team in years past and could look to add more players in backup roles.
The Athletic has linked Houston to veteran utility man, Brandon Belt, this offseason, listing them as one of the best fits to sign the 36-year-old.
After struggling in his final season with the San Francisco Giants, he bounced back with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023, finishing with a slash line of .254/.369/.490, 19 home runs and 43 RBI.
“Belt was really good, and generally overlooked, drawing walks in bunches, hitting for power and posting an .858 OPS that ranked seventh among AL hitters with at least 100 games … When healthy, he remains a strong middle-of-the-order bat, especially when spotted mostly versus right-handers … At age 36, he’s a high-end one-year solution,” Tim Britton and Aaron Gleeman write in the article.
As a designated hitter and first base option, Belt could fit in well with the Astros.
Jose Abreu was their big signing last offseason, but struggled a bit before injuries hit him. That forced Houston into scramble mode to find their best option at first base prior to his return.
Belt would help in case that presents itself again and could give other players some days off with his ability to hit at the DH spot.
One hold up could be that Britton projects the veteran utility man to get a contract in the $12 million range.
That could keep the Astros out of these conversations considering how financially strained they are.
