Dodgers $71 million superstar linked to Astros in possible blockbuster signing image
The Houston Astros just did something they hadn’t done since the Obama administration: watched the American League Championship Series from their couches.
Losing in the playoffs is unfamiliar territory for these Astros, and their first-round defeat at the hands of the plucky Detroit Tigers was a sign that this Houston dynasty run could be approaching its end. The Astros roster has gotten older, more expensive, and less dynamic through the years.
With right fielder Kyle Tucker entering his final year in Houston before hitting free agency, the Astros are going to be faced with some brutal decisions. Will they be able to extend Tucker? Will they sign another corner outfielder in case he walks? How much do they have to spend in either instance?
Perhaps the best possible scenario was proposed by Chris Landers of FanSided. Landers implored the Astros to sign Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Teoscar Hernández this winter, while still retaining Tucker long-term.
“Hernandez started his career in the Astros system, and (general manager Dana) Brown was with the Toronto Blue Jays when the team acquired the outfielder from Houston at the 2017 trade deadline,” Landers said.
“It’s safe to say that (Brown is) a fan of Hernandez as a player, and coming off his best offensive season to date — and given the uncertain futures of internal options like Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers — it’s safe to say that he’s a fit even if Tucker does stick around for the long haul.”
Hernández, 32, is coming off a career year at the perfect time. He hit a new career-best 33 home runs in his lone Dodgers season, while racking up an .840 OPS/137 OPS+. He also won the Home Run Derby at the All-Star break in Arlington, Texas.
The obvious impediment for Houston is money. Hernández is projected for a three-year, $71 million contract (Spotrac), and there’s no telling how much Tucker might command as a younger, more well-rounded outfield star. Signing either could be difficult, but signing both might be too much to ask.
If the Astros can land Hernández, they’ll once again become one of the favorites to win an AL pennant. But that could be a lot to ask from a front office that already has its hands full paying the most expensive roster in team history.
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