HOUSTON -- The Astros on Monday exercised the $13.35 million club option for next season for third baseman Isaac Paredes, who finished second on the team behind American League Most Valuable Player finalist Yordan Alvarez in bWAR last season.
The option will become a mutual option if Paredes finishes in the Top 10 in AL MVP voting, which will be announced next week. Either way, Paredes is under contract for the Astros in ‘27 after he hit .262 with 25 homers, 94 RBIs and an .807 OPS in 155 games this year.
The Astros tried to trade Paredes last offseason to clear up their infield logjam, which was resolved when Carlos Correa injured his ankle in May and missed the remainder of the season. Houston faces the same dilemma entering this offseason with Correa set to return healthy in 2027.
Last week, the Astros chose not to pick up the $5 million option of right-hander Ryan Weiss and will instead pay him a $500,000 buyout. Weiss, who pitched the previous two seasons in Korea, had a 7.62 ERA in 26 innings with Houston in ’26 and was designated for assignment in June.
Meanwhile, right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who signed a three-year, $54 million deal in January, opted into his contract for ‘27 -- worth $18 million -- last week. He pitched in 23 games (15 starts) for the Astros last season and was 6-4 with a 4.93 ERA.
Meyers opts for free agency
Jake Meyers, whose 494 games in center field for the Astros since the start of the 2021 season are more than twice as many as any other player, elected free agency Monday after the Astros outrighted him from the 40-man roster.
That was among a flurry of moves announced by new general manager Randy Flores, including right-hander Roddery Muñoz and catcher César Salazar being selected to the 40-man roster and the acquisition of right-handed pitcher Evan Reifert from the Rays in exchange for cash.
Reifort was also added to the 40-man roster, which is at 39 players.
Reifert, 27, pitched his entire 2026 season at Triple-A Durham in the Rays organization, posting a 2.48 ERA in 46 appearances, including three starts. He had 81 strikeouts in his 58 innings pitched last season, while posting a .180 opponents’ batting average.
Meyers hit .213 with three homers in 57 games for the Astros last season, missing more than a month with a right oblique strain. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Sugar Land before a knee fracture ended his season in mid-September.
Meyers has started in center field on Opening Day for the Astros in each of the last four seasons and enjoyed his best season in 2025, hitting .292 in 104 games.