Friday, February 21

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Alex Bregman will slip on the jersey of the Boston Red Sox this weekend. George Springer has played the last four seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays. Carlos Correa has found a home with the Minnesota Twins. Kyle Tucker is learning about life as a member of the Chicago Cubs.

For Astros fans, seeing some of their favorite homegrown players leave town from the team’s run of dominance from 2017-23 -- a span which included seven consecutive trips to the ALCS, four pennants and two World Series titles -- is a reminder that baseball is a business. Few great players spend their entire careers with one team, though Jose Altuve appears to be an exception.

The Astros have continued to win despite losing so many star players. They went to the ALCS in '20 despite losing Gerrit Cole after '19; they went to the World Series in '21 a season after losing Springer; and they won the World Series in ’22 a season after losing Correa.

Here’s a look at the impact some of their departed core had on the franchise:

Springer: The outfielder was the first of the Astros’ homegrown stars of the era to leave. They tried to sign Springer to an extension early in his career, but he ultimately chose free agency and signed a six-year, $150 million deal with Toronto prior to the ’21 season. Springer, the Astros’ 11th overall pick in the ’11 Draft, posted an .852 OPS and 131 OPS+ in seven years with the Astros and was the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 World Series.

The Astros have struggled to get consistent play in center field post-Springer, ranging from Myles Straw, Jake Meyers, Chas McCormick and Jose Siri, but they had a talented outfield prospect in Tucker waiting in the wings. He made his debut in ’18, stepped into a starting role in ’20 and made three consecutive All-Star teams before being traded to the Cubs in December.

Correa: The first overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft, Correa was as popular as any Astros player during the last decade. He was a marketable and talented star who blossomed into a leader on and off the field, in addition to being a clutch postseason performer. He hit 133 homers with the Astros and had an .837 OPS in seven years before turning down a five-year deal worth $160 million to stay in Houston.

The Astros didn’t skip a beat post-Correa because they had prospect Jeremy Peña ready to take over. He had an unprecedented rookie season in ’22 in which he became the first rookie to win the Gold Glove at shortstop and was named MVP of the ALCS and the World Series -- also a first for a rookie.

Tucker: When Juan Soto agreed to a massive deal with the Mets on the eve of the Winter Meetings in December, it gave the Astros a better idea of what kind of contract Tucker could command in free agency following the ’25 season. Simply put, they knew they weren’t going to be able to re-sign him and -- unlike Springer, Correa and Bregman -- opted to trade him before he became a free agent.

The Astros were able to land a starting third baseman to replace Bregman in Isaac Paredes from the Cubs, and they also acquired starting pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third baseman Cam Smith, who became their top prospect. The deal allowed Houston to add a pair of players who could impact the club this year, with Smith potentially being a quick mover to the big leagues.

Bregman: The Astros said their top priority in the offseason was re-signing Bregman, but a six-year, $156 million offer wasn’t enough to keep him in Houston. He becomes the fourth key member of the 2022 World Series championship team to join another team this year, including Tucker, Justin Verlander (Giants) and Ryan Pressly (Cubs).

Bregman leaves a big legacy in Houston after posting a 39.6 career bWAR in nine seasons, making the All-Star team in 2018 and ’19 and finishing second to Mike Trout in the AL MVP voting in ’19. He’s also one of the biggest clutch performers in playoff history with 19 homers and 54 RBIs in 99 postseason games, as well as being a leader and philanthropist off the field.

One of the first position players to report to camp was infielder Brice Matthews, who’s the club’s No. 4-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline. The team’s first-round pick in 2023 out of the University of Nebraska, Matthews finished his first full pro season with 12 games at Triple-A Sugar Land, going 6-for-42 (.143). That came on the heels of 42 games at Double-A Corpus Christi, where he posted an .873 OPS with nine homers and 16 steals.

Matthews spent a month this winter playing in Puerto Rico, where he split time between second base and third base. Astros manager Joe Espada said Matthews will be in the lineup at second base during one of the team’s split-squad Grapefruit League openers next week, and he’ll also see time at shortstop this spring.

“My mindset is trying to just have fun and be myself and just learn from the veterans here and just try to pick their brains and try to get better every day,” Matthews said. “Just have fun and make the most of this opportunity.”

On Thursday, Espada proudly showed off his new red baseball glove that features the Puerto Rican flag, along with the scripted names of his daughters and the initials of him and his wife, Pamela. On one side of the glove are the initials JE-PE (Joe Espada and Pamela Espada) and on the other side are the names of 13-year-old Eliana and 10-year-old Viviana.

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