The Houston Astros have some key contract decisions to make at this time of year, and one of those involved third baseman Isaac Paredes. It was clear that the Astros had a surplus in the infield entering the 2026 season, but that ended up benefitting Houston after the season-ending injury to Carlos Correa.
There were initial questions on where Paredes would fit, but Correa's absence made it an easy decision to play Paredes at third. That's the same position he played most of 2025. It resulted in a great season for the 27-year-old who was quite productive at the plate for Houston.
Paredes posted a .262 average with an OPS of .807. He hit 25 home runs and had 94 RBI along with 71 walks in 155 total games. Paredes was one of the best bats in the Astros lineup this past season and the decision to make on his contract was an obvious one.
Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes smiles on the field during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Astros announced on Monday that they exercised Paredes' $13.55 million club option for 2027, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com . If Paredes ends up in the top 10 of American League MVP voting, that club option will convert to a mutual option. The club option is decided by just the team while the mutual option will require agreement from Paredes' side.
The production Paredes provided and the versatility to play 15 games at first base and three games at second as well masked his lower defensive metrics such as defensive runs saved (-7) and outs above average (-4) at third base, per MLB Trade Rumors.
Paredes posted a .360 OBP, which was the highest of his career. He walked at a rate of 10.8 percent and struck out in a career-low 13.4 percent of his plate appearances per FanGraphs.
This was a no-brainer for Houston to exercise given how strong of a bat he was, but also his arbitration projection was at $15 million according to MLB Trade Rumors . The Astros likely saved about $1.5 million to directly take on the option. Paredes was under team control until 2027 regardless of what decision the Astros made.
Correa will be back healthy at the start of next season, so the question again becomes how the infield should be arranged. It's possible that new general manager Randy Flores uses this opportunity to trade Paredes and his affordable value to another team. However, it's no secret that Correa has had his fair share of injury issues.
Paredes will likely command a lucrative free agency deal after next season if he has a strong 2027.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/astros/onsi as Astros Make the Obvious Choice With Isaac Paredes' Contract .
