I have not agreed with many of the changes the Houston Astros have made over the last three seasons, but if anything has also been clear, it is that several of the young players they projected to take over a position in left field or center field could not even come close to expectations.
That includes Joey Loperfido, Zach Dezenzo, Brice Matthews, Zach Cole, Taylor Trammell and, likewise, the experiment that did not work out with Jesus Sanchez after he was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline.
Now, if there is something the Astros had in mind in the past that I think could work again, it is looking for outfielders who can offer defensive versatility and are capable of providing value to the roster.
Obviously, many of those options will have to come from the external market, since it has been demonstrated that Houston has not been able to solve the situation with its own players.
Daulton Varsho and LaMonte Wade Jr. will reach free agency at the end of the season, and it is still unknown what the team’s plan will be, although we have discussed here how valuable Varsho could be, especially if he returns healthy and can make a recovery offensively.
More Reasonable External Options
If we are talking about outfielders capable of providing defensive depth with the ability to play several positions, there are interesting names to explore, such as Tyrone Taylor, Myles Straw, Ramon Laureano, Lane Thomas and Luis Robert Jr.
Each of them has demonstrated the ability to play at least two outfield positions, and I think Taylor and Thomas could be the ones who fit Houston’s approach best, without forgetting that the Toronto Blue Jays could choose not to exercise the club option they have on Straw, which could also make him a good option if he reaches free agency.
Of all of them, Straw would be the most familiar outfielder, since he was an Astro during the first four seasons of his career, recording 2.1 bWAR between 2018 and 2021.
Taylor Could Be Interesting Acquisition
Going back to Taylor, who began 2026 with the New York Mets and was sent to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, remains one of the most interesting options because he recovered his offense and continues to be a well-above-average player with the ability to play any of the three outfield positions.
Taylor finished 2026 with a .279/.325/.502 offensive line, producing a 127 wRC+, the highest of his career, with career highs in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and ISO (.224).
He also recorded a positive Run Value against nine of the 10 pitch types he faced, dropping to -2 only against curveballs, but in a small sample of just 13 plate appearances. In general, Taylor is not the type of hitter who stands out for his power, but he hit 11 home runs, drove in 38 runs and posted 1.5 fWAR, the best mark of his career since he played for the Milwaukee Brewers and accumulated 2.1 in 2022.
His OPS+ was 129 in 67 games with the Mets, but then rose to 144 during the 30 games he played for Chicago in the second half of the season.
As for his defense, Taylor finished in the 82nd percentile in Arm Value and has finished the last two seasons in the 84th percentile of the league in Range (OAA), which highlights his ability to field and the strength of his arm in the outfield, everything the Astros really need in a single player.
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