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Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown
The Houston Astros have had a relatively busy MLB offseason, but on Friday they weren’t done making moves.
On Friday morning, the Astros pulled off a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. They sent outfielder Jesus Sanchez to the Blue Jays in exchange for outfielder Joey Loperfido. The move saved Houston some money.
Chandler Rome of The Athletic shared how much money the move will save for Houston.
“The Astros are re-acquiring Joey Loperfido from the Toronto Blue Jays for Jesús Sánchez, GM Dana Brown announced,” Rome wrote on X. “It’s a money saving move — Sánchez is owed $6.8 million while Loperfido is making the league minimum.”
Following the trade being made, Astros general manager Dana Brown hinted at more moves coming before the 2026 MLB season arrives.
Houston Astros Aren’t Done Making Moves Yet
Brown is clearly still open for business. He said as much, as shared by Rome.
“We’re not done yet,” Brown said.
Rome also provided some clarity about what kind of moves Houston might be looking to make.
“The Astros are still engaged in multiple trade talks involving their infield surplus,” Rome wrote.
So far this offseason, the Astros have made quite a few moves. They’ve only made one high-impact additions, which was the free agency signing of Japanese starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who received a three-year, $54 million contract.
Outside of the signing of Imai, Houston has made some other smaller moves. The Astros signed right-hander Nate Pearson to a one-year, $1.35 million deal and right-hander Ryan Weiss to a one-year, $2.6 million contract.
They also acquired infielder Nick Allen from the Atlanta Braves for Mauricio Dubon and made a couple of other small trades too.
What to Expect From the Astros in 2026
Last season, the Astros finished out the season with an 87-75 record. Unfortunately, that wasn’t quite good enough to make the playoffs.
Has Houston done enough to be a postseason contender this season? Probably not, but the team can’t be ruled out before the season even begins.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic took a deeper like at the Astros’ offseason and also shared a projection about what to expect in 2026. He clearly wasn’t a big fan of the offseason for Houston, giving it a “C+” grade.
As for were he sees the Astros going this coming season, Bowden predicted that Houston would finish in second place in the American League West division. That is where the Astros finished last season as well, with the Seattle Mariners winning the division.
Only time will tell whether or not Houston can take a step forward in 2026. Brown still has some time to make another move or two and it sure sounds like he’s looking into that option.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
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