Angels have chance to continue hot offseason after rival Astros cut infielder

While Tuesday wound up being a monumental day for Angels fans due to their trade for Grayson Rodriguez, there was a lot going on around the league throughout the day. It was a big decision day across MLB, as two types of major choices had to be made across the league.

Qualifying offers had to be decided on by the free agents who were offered them (and an ideal free agent target was taken off the board for the Halos because of it). Additionally, 40-man rosters had to be finalized, meaning prospects had to be added in order to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. And with younger names being added, it meant veterans around the league were designated for assignment as the roster crunch bore down on teams. 

One of those veterans was Houston Astros’ infielder Ramón Urías. Despite solid offensive numbers and an ability to play all over the infield, Urías was designated for assignment by the Astros (which was overshadowed by their most recent trade). The longtime Baltimore Orioles’ infielder was dealt to the Astros at the deadline last season, and saw a dip in production as the team ultimately lost out to the Seattle Mariners for the AL West title and ended their streak of eight straight seasons in the playoffs. And while Urías may be out of Houston, he may still have a home in the AL West. 

Angels should go after former Astros infielder Ramon Urias to fill out infield

While the Angels’ offseason has so far been headlined by their big trade for Rodriguez, they have been making small, impactful moves as well by claiming a promising reliever and young catcher. And with Urías, he is a cheap option to build up their depth in the infield. 

The Halos have half of their infield figured out. Zach Neto is going to be the shortstop in Anaheim for hopefully the rest of his career. For 2026, Nolan Schanuel is written in as the everyday first baseman. At second base, fans and the organization are hopeful that Christian Moore can take the leap to being a consistently impactful MLB player and avoid the high variance from his 2025 season. At third base…well…there is Anthony Rendon. 

Per FanGraphs, Urías graded out as a roughly positive defender both at second base (one outs-above-average) and third base (four OAA). On top of this, he was a roughly league average hitter with a wRC+ of 96. Even with his slump in Houston, Urías graded out as a positive player.

While he was expected to get a raise in his final year of arbitration, Urías is worth a contract in the $3-$5 million range. His ability to play the Angels’ two most needy infield spots while be a solid contributor at the plate make him an exceptional fit for the Halos - whether as the starting third baseman or the first guy off the bench.