Houston’s offseason plan centers on preserving core stability while addressing two free-agent questions. Framber Valdez and Victor Caratini are the only consequential free agents from the current roster, with Valdez anchoring the rotation and Caratini handling catching. The rest of the star core—Altuve, Alvarez, Peña, and Brown among others—remains under team control for the near term, creating room to balance extensions, arbitration, and payroll without a full rebuild.

Beyond Valdez and Caratini, the horizon features a mix of arbitration-eligible depth and aging or longer-term contracts. Key decisions will revolve around how aggressively Houston retains or replaces pieces like Abreu, Dubón, Urías, and McCullers, while mapping out long-term commitments for a championship window that runs through the late 2020s and into 2030s via extensions and option structure.

Altuve battled a painful right foot while Houston’s postseason bid unraveled, forcing him to play through the discomfort as the Astros were eliminated. He previously left a Sept. 13 game with right foot issues, then returned to start 11 straight games at second base before the season’s end.

A slew of injuries plagued Houston down the stretch: Alvarez sprained an ankle, Peña strained an oblique, Meyers missed time with calf soreness, and Paredes battled hamstring and running limitations. Espada pulled Altuve, Paredes and Correa in the finale, underscoring how the club fought through injuries for the city and a fading playoff chance.

Fantasy managers should monitor the offseason medical notes as the team plans rest and rehab, especially for Altuve’s durability and the lineup’s overall health. The ripple effect on Houston’s 2025 projections could hinge on whether these stars recover fully and how the organization prioritizes depth and rotation as they chase a return to contention.