Isaac Paredes To Bat Second And Yordan Alvarez To Bat Third
Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes is set to bat in the two-hole entering the season, with outfielder Yordan Alvarez batting third, according to manager Joe Espada. Paredes will be looking to take advantage of the Crawford Boxes in short left field of Daikin Park and perform like the player he was in 2023 when he slashed .250/.352/.488 with 31 home runs for the Rays. He should see plenty of pitches to hit while batting in front of Alvarez, who has proven himself to be one of the best hitters in the league. He is coming off of a 2024 season where he slashed .308/.392/.567 with 35 home runs, 86 RBI, and 88 runs in 147 games.
Houston Astros new third baseman Isaac Paredes could hit second for the Astros this year after going 0-for-2 with a walk out of the No. 2 spot in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Washington Nationals, according to manager Joe Espada. Second baseman/outfielder Jose Altuve will hit in his customary leadoff spot, with Paredes potentially sandwiched between Altuve and outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez. It's a great spot to be, and the Astros are hoping to utilize the 26-year-old's career .333 on-base percentage and 11 percent walk rate at the top of the order. Although Paredes hit only .223/.325/.307 with three home runs and 25 RBI in 52 games last year after being traded from the Rays to the Cubs, his move to Houston is viewed as a plus for his fantasy value in 2025, especially if he's hitting second regularly. He's RotoBaller's No. 15-ranked fantasy third baseman.
The Houston Astros and third baseman Isaac Paredes avoided salary arbitration on Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $6.625 million deal, according to a source. Paredes is heading into his first year in Houston in 2025 after the Astros acquired him from the Chicago Cubs this offseason in the blockbuster trade involving All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker. With the Astros choosing not to re-sign Alex Bregman and after signing Christian Walker to play first base, Paredes should be locked in as Houston's everyday third baseman this year. The 25-year-old right-handed slugger struggled in the second half of 2024 with the Cubbies after he was traded by the Tampa Bay Rays, but he'll have an excellent chance to bounce back in Houston as a pull-happy righty with the short porch in left field at Minute Maid Park. Paredes is getting a $3.225 million raise from last year.
The Houston Astros acquired infielder Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and third base prospect Cam Smith from the Chicago Cubs on Friday in exchange for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, according to sources. This trade certainly gives the Astros a couple fallback options in case they cannot re-sign Alex Bregman this offseason. The 25-year-old Paredes could play either third or first base next year in his first with the Astros. The Mexican infielder took a step back with 19 homers and 80 RBI with the Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays in 2024 after setting career-highs in homers (31) and RBI (98) in 2023 with Tampa to make his first All-Star team. Paredes probably is never going to be a batting-average asset for fantasy mangers, but he's a good bet to bounce back in the power department at Minute Maid Park, especially with his pull-heavy offensive approach from the right side of the plate.
Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith Being Discussed In Potential Kyle Tucker Trade
The Chicago Cubs continue to work hard on acquiring All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros, and corner infielder Isaac Paredes and third baseman Cam Smith are the primary names being discussed. In addition to the Cubs, the New York Yankees have been involved with trying to acquire the left-handed-hitting Tucker after they failed to re-sign superstar outfielder Juan Soto. Paredes, 25, was traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Cubs in 2024. He wasn't as good with Chicago, hitting .223 with three homers and 25 RBI in 52 games played. There's bounce-back potential for Paredes if he heads to Houston after he hit 31 homers a year ago with Tampa. Smith, 21, is the Cubs' No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is quickly rising up prospect ranks after hitting .313/.396/.609 with seven homers in 32 games in the minors in his first pro season after Chicago took him 14th overall in the 2024 draft. UPDATE: Talks between the Astros and Cubs are "gaining momentum."
Astros Targeting Seiya Suzuki, Isaac Paredes In Potential Kyle Tucker Trade
The Houston Astros are targeting Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki and infielder Isaac Paredes in a possible trade for outfielder Kyle Tucker, according to sources briefed on the team's talks. The two teams have exchanged a variety of names in discussions, and any package for Tucker would also likely included prospects. Houston is also interested in third baseman Cam Smith, who was a first-rounder earlier this year. A source says the Cubs are highly unlikely to trade Suzuki and would prefer to unload Cody Bellinger's contract this offseason in a separate trade. Tucker is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season, so the Astros could be wanting to get something in return if they feel they won't be able to re-sign him. After Juan Soto's huge deal, Tucker, one of the best hitters in baseball, could command a deal of at least $400 to $500 million. The Yankees are another team pursuing a trade for Tucker.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes is not in the starting nine on Saturday afternoon as the Cubs continue a three-game set with the Cincinnati Reds. Paredes has started in each of the past five games and will take a day off. As a result, Patrick Wisdom will cover the hot corner and bat in the eight-hole. Since the start of September, the former Ray has begun to heat up at the plate with a strong .289/.374/.316 line. Since joining the Cubs at the trade deadline, Paredes has carried a .223/.324/.309 slash line. Wisdom will face Cincinnati's top pitching prospect, Rhett Lowder, this afternoon, who has held a strong 1.40 ERA.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes (wrist) was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to a left wrist contusion, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The 25-year-old was scheduled to return to the Cubs lineup after sitting out on Friday afternoon but will need at least another day to rest. As a result, Luis Vazquez will cover the hot corner and bat in the nine-hole. Since joining the Northside at the trade deadline, Paredes has held an underwhelming .212/.317/.301 line with just three home runs and five doubles across a 45-game stint. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Paredes' status before Sunday's game. If the former Tampa Bay Ray remains sidelined, Vazquez and Patrick Wisdom should see an uptick in opportunities. Vazquez will face Washington southpaw MacKenzie Gore this afternoon and should be faded in all DFS formats.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes (hand) will retreat to the bench for Friday's game at Wrigley Field against the visiting Washington Nationals in the second game of the series. Patrick Wisdom will draw the start at third base for the Cubbies and will hit eighth in the batting order versus Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams. Although the injury doesn't appear serious, Paredes had his left hand spiked in Thursday's victory over Washington, and it's possible the team is giving him the day off on Friday because of that. He has struggled with the Cubs since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays, as he's hit just .212 (33-for-156) with three homers, 23 RBI and 32 strikeouts in 45 games since the trade. Wisdom is a low-upside sleeper in DFS in the eight-hole on Friday. He has faced Williams six times in his career and has yet to pick up a hit.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes and catcher Miguel Amaya are not in the starting nine on Saturday afternoon as the Cubs continue a three-game set against the New York Yankees. The third baseman is in the midst of a rough 2-for-17 slide since the start of the month, while Amaya has tallied just one hit since September 1. As a result, Patrick Wisdom will cover the hot corner and bat in the eight-hole, and Christian Bethancourt will be behind the dish batting ninth. Fantasy managers should expect Paredes and Amaya to return to the starting nine tomorrow as they are scheduled to face Yankee ace, Gerrit Cole. Both Wisdom and Bethancourt could be sneaky plays in DFS this afternoon as they will face Clarke Schmidt who will be making his return to the mound after not pitching since May due to a strained lat.
Yordan Alvarez
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Astros
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