NEW YORK — The Yankees have an expensive third base problem. Houston has a crowded infield and a contract decision that could make one of its best hitters available.
Isaac Paredes enters the offseason with a reported $13.35 million Astros club option for 2027 after hitting 25 home runs. Houston is widely expected to exercise the option, but keeping Paredes under contract would not necessarily mean keeping him on the roster.
Carlos Correa, Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve and Christian Walker also figure into Houston’s infield plans. The Astros must resolve that overlap while reassessing payroll and baseball operations. For the Yankees, who got little offense from third base in 2026, the uncertainty creates a possible trade opening rather than an immediate path to a free-agent signing.
Paredes’ option is Houston’s first decision
Paredes’ agreement reportedly pays him $13.35 million in 2027 if the Astros exercise their club option. Under the deal’s terms, a top-10 finish in 2026 American League MVP voting would convert it into a mutual option. Until the relevant voting and contractual decisions are settled, the Yankees cannot treat him as an available free agent.
His performance makes the option attractive. Paredes hit .262 with a .360 on-base percentage, a .447 slugging percentage, 25 home runs and 94 RBIs in 155 games in 2026. FanGraphs credited him with a 130 wRC+ and 4.4 wins above replacement.
Houston could exercise the option and retain him, exercise it before exploring a trade, or evaluate its other contract pathways. A declined option also would not automatically make him a free agent because he remains eligible for arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors’ option analysis.
The Yankees have not been reported to be negotiating with Houston for Paredes this offseason. Their opportunity depends on what the Astros decide to do, and on whether the teams can agree on a return.
An Astros surplus creates a Yankees opening
Paredes played regularly at third after Correa suffered an ankle injury in May. Correa’s expected return in 2027 puts two established hitters back in competition for playing time, with Pena at shortstop, Altuve at second and Walker at first.
Houston’s leadership change adds another variable. The club fired general manager Dana Brown in August and parted ways with manager Joe Espada after its 81-81 season ended in a wild-card loss to the White Sox. Any decision on Paredes must fit the next front office’s roster strategy.
An October report citing The Athletic’s Chandler Rome identified Paredes and Walker as players who could be discussed in trades. That is an assessment of potential offseason movement, not confirmation that Houston has placed Paredes on the market.
The Yankees have a clearer reason to ask. Their third basemen combined for a .215 average, .271 on-base percentage and .358 slugging percentage in 2026. Ryan McMahon hit .213 with 11 homers and a .636 OPS, and New York owes him $16 million next season.
Moving McMahon would be a separate transaction. His guaranteed salary does not disappear simply because the Yankees find a different third baseman, and there is no established McMahon-for-Paredes proposal.
The production gap is difficult to ignore
Paredes posted an .807 OPS in 2026 against approximately .629 from Yankees third basemen, a 178-point advantage. His reported option salary is also $2.65 million below McMahon’s 2027 figure, although that comparison excludes any trade acquisition cost and the obligation New York would still carry on McMahon’s deal.
A right-handed pull hitter, Paredes may appear suited to Yankee Stadium. But his offense should not be reduced to ballpark dimensions. He posted a 116 wRC+ in 2024 while playing for Tampa Bay and the Chicago Cubs, before joining Houston.
His glove would be a consideration. Paredes was credited with minus-7 Defensive Runs Saved at third base in 2026, making him a more obvious offensive upgrade than a guaranteed defensive solution. The Yankees would be weighing added production against defensive range and the cost in prospects or major league players.
New York also has alternatives to evaluate. McMahon remains under contract, Jose Caballero offers positional versatility, and the offseason market includes other names. None of those possibilities changes the immediate fact that Paredes is an Astros contract decision, not a free agent already available to New York.
Houston’s next move will define the market
The Astros’ crowded infield, pressure to allocate payroll and uncertain management structure provide reasons to consider a trade. His age, performance and manageable 2027 salary also provide reasons to keep him or demand a substantial return.
For the Yankees, the situation is worth monitoring because Houston’s decision could create a credible route to a hitter capable of improving third base. As of Oct. 20, the Astros have not announced the option outcome, and no deal involving Paredes and the Yankees has been reported.
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