Houston Astros Nearing Agreement with Gold Glove-Winning Infielder

The Houston Astros continue to collect infielders, as they reportedly have an agreement with Brendan Rodgers on a one-year minor league deal, per KPRC-TV.

The deal gives Rodgers an invitation to Major League spring training in West Palm Beach, Fla., once he passes his physical.

Rodgers was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies. In the selection before him, the Houston Astros picked Alex Bregman, who was part of two World Series champions but recently signed with the Boston Red Sox.

Two picks after Rodgers, at No. 5, the Astros selected outfielder Kyle Tucker, who became a three-time All-Star, played on the 2022 World Series champions and was traded to the Chicago Cubs this offseason.

His fielding and offense at the minor league level made him one of the game’s more coveted prospects. He made his MLB debut with the Rockies in 2019 and, aside from a shoulder injury, was a full-time contributor in the Majors for the last four seasons.

Rodgers, at one time a Gold Glove winning infielder for the Rockies, was non-tendered by Colorado last November after he slashed .267/.314/.407/.721 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI in 2024.

The 28-year-old played both second base and shortstop for the Rockies and won his Gold Glove playing second base. That was his best overall season as a pro, as he slashed .266/.325/.408/.733 with 13 home runs, 63 RBI and a career-best 4.3 wins above replacement.

He joins an Astros infield situation that is in flux after the departure of Bregman, who was the starting third baseman, and the potential transition of Jose Altuve from full-time second baseman to, at minimum, part-time left fielder.

With Altuve working in the outfield to see if he can handle the position, the Astros are working with a potential alignment of Isaac Paredes at third base, Jeremy Peña at shortstop and super-utility star Mauricio Dubón at second base.

The Astros haven’t committed to moving Altuve to left field but are trying it out to see if it works to increase lineup flexibility and improve their infield defense.

Rodgers could be a potential answer as middle infield depth. Along with the Gold Glove, he has a career slash line of .266/.316/.409/.726 with 45 home runs and 197 RBI.

One area to watch at the plate is Rodgers’ propensity for hitting into double plays. He led the Majors with 25 double-play groundouts in 2022 and had 12 more last season.

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