Astros Could Pursue Former Atlanta Braves Outfielder as Depth Piece
The Houston Astros made one of the most headline grabbing moves this offseason when they handed Josh Hader the most present-day money to a reliever in MLB history.
It was a necessary move.
Not only were they down four bullpen pieces from last year’s team, but the status quo sentiment coming from owner Jim Crane that permeated down to the front office wasn’t giving off a whole lot of confidence for a team who should compete for another World Series title.
So, the Hader move not only addressed an area of need, but it signaled that the Astros are continuing to chase a championship.
With the star free agent landed, Houston’s front office can look to fill out the rest of the roster.
What type of player are they looking for?
General manager Dana Brown was clear when saying they want a left-handed hitting outfielder.
There are still plenty of options out there for the Astros, but one they should target is their former World Series foe Eddie Rosario.
The 32-year-old beat Houston in 2021 with the Atlanta Braves.
Coming off an NLCS MVP award, the outfielder slashed .227/.346/.318 across six games and 26 plate appearances in the World Series against the Astros.
Rosario largely played the fourth outfielder type of role with the Braves and should expect to do that with his next team after struggling on offense since his resurgent 2021 season.
Houston is looking to replace Michael Brantley’s bat and defensive ability.
Rosario should be able to do just that.
He has experience in the fourth outfielder role, doing so on a contender like Atlanta, and also brings a level of championship pedigree to the clubhouse that already exists in the Astros’ clubhouse.
