The Houston Astros’ postseason streak came to a screeching halt in 2025, marking their first October absence since 2016. That’s a long run of dominance in the American League, and while last year’s early Wild Card exit hinted at a shift, this season made it official: the Astros’ era of control is over-at least for now.
This year was always going to feel different. Two cornerstone players-Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker-left the building in the same offseason, Bregman via free agency and Tucker through a trade.
Those departures signaled a changing of the guard in Houston. But to their credit, the Astros didn’t just roll over.
They fought to stay in the mix, even as the roster reshaped itself. In the end, though, injuries piled up, the bats went cold at the worst possible time, and the team faded out of contention.
Now, general manager Dana Brown is staring down a crucial offseason. The choices he makes in the coming months will determine whether Houston can quickly retool or if a deeper rebuild is on the horizon.
Last winter, Brown clearly opted for a retool over a teardown. But some of those moves-particularly on the defensive side-raised eyebrows. The infield alignment never quite clicked, and while the goal was to keep Jose Altuve at second base, where he’s most comfortable and effective, the real problem spot has become first base.
That brings us to Christian Walker.
Houston took a swing on Walker last offseason, signing him to a three-year, $60 million deal. One year in, that contract is already looking like a tough pill to swallow. Walker is still owed $20 million annually for the next two seasons, and the return on investment has been underwhelming-especially in the first half of the year.
Over his first 90 games, Walker slashed just .229/.286/.374. That’s not the kind of production you want from your first baseman, particularly one making that kind of money.
But to his credit, he did heat up down the stretch. In his final 64 games, Walker posted a .250/.312/.488 line with 15 home runs.
He ended the year with 27 homers overall, leading the team in that category.
Still, the full-season numbers don’t lie. Across 154 games, Walker posted just a 0.2 bWAR.
That’s replacement-level production, plain and simple. And for a team trying to stay competitive in a loaded AL, that’s not going to cut it.
So what now?
The best-case scenario for Houston might be finding a trade partner willing to take on Walker’s contract-or at least part of it. That would allow the Astros to move Isaac Paredes over to first base and pair him with Altuve on the right side of the infield. It’s a cleaner defensive fit and could inject some much-needed energy into the lineup.
Of course, trading Walker won’t be easy. The Astros may have to eat a sizable chunk of that contract to make it happen. But as tough as it is to admit defeat on back-to-back first base signings-Walker following the Jose Abreu deal-this might be the only window to move on.
Walker’s second-half surge could be enough to entice a team looking for power and willing to gamble on a bounce-back. And for Houston, even if it means paying a player not to play for you, it’s better than paying him to actively hurt your chances on the field.
The Astros are at a crossroads. They’re not rebuilding, but they’re not the juggernaut they once were either. Moving on from Walker could be the first step in reshaping the roster into something more sustainable-and more competitive-in this new era.
If the right deal comes along, don’t be surprised to see Houston hit reset at first base once again.
