The Houston Astros were one of the more disappointing teams in the league last season. They fell short of the postseason despite putting together a solid roster.
This offseason, the Astros have reportedly explored the idea of trading infielder Isaac Paredes. But Paredes isn’t the only infielder the Astros could lose this offseason.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicted the Astros would lose Gold Glove third baseman Ramon Urias to the division rival Athletics this offseason.
“The hot corner was a hot mess for the A’s last season, with six different players making at least 20 appearances — and not because they had trouble choosing among their many suitable options, just to be clear,” Miller wrote. “They do have high hopes for (the other) Max Muncy, but adding a veteran presence with a plus glove could be huge as they look to take one more big step back toward contention in the AL West.”
Urias would be a major upgrade for the Athletics. They have a very talented young team, but they need one more veteran to help balance out the roster. Having Urias as a one or two-year answer at third base while Max Muncy continues growing and developing would be the best-case scenario.
Urias isn’t likely to be expensive to sign, either. He would fit perfectly into the Athletics’ payroll while providing them exactly what they need. Stealing him from a hated division rival would be the cherry on top of it all.
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