Astros owner wants to retain 2 key veterans

The Houston Astros may not have a general manager after parting ways with James Click a couple of weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have capable people recommending additions to the property.

Looking to increase their chances of repeating as World Series champions in 2023, the Astros signed first baseman José Abreu to a three-year deal worth $60 million.

Their lineup is already elite, with Abreu, José Altuve, Jeremy Peña, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, among others.

However, that doesn’t mean their offseason is over.

The Astros have a couple of key veterans in free agency: infielder Yuli Gurriel and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.

Both have been crucial pieces in the puzzle since 2016 and 2017, respectively, and contributed a lot in 2022.

The team wants them back.

“’We are active in the market, we are not finished. Yuli is in the mix, Verlander is in the mix. – Jim Crane,” reporter Ari Alexander tweeted.

“We are active in the market, we are not finished. Yuli is in the mix, Verlander is in the mix.” –Jim Crane pic.twitter.com/GIYxsD1saU

—Ari Alejandro (@AriA1exander) November 29, 2022

The Astros could bring back Verlander and Gurriel

Gurriel is 38 years old and declined offensively in 2022, posting a .647 OPS.

He’s looking for his last payday, but the Astros may not be willing to go as far as offering a two- or three-year deal.

Verlander dominated this year, posting 18 wins, a 1.75 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP in 175 innings, plus his first World Series win in Game 5 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

He is 39 years old, but he deserves a multi-year contract and it is likely that he will get it.

Will Houston be the team willing to gamble on his long-term outlook?

We don’t know if the Astros will secure both, but they’re trying and that’s all we need to know about their competitive momentum.