Astros' Infield Struggles Raise Questions Ahead of 2027

The Houston Astros pretty much spent the entire season fighting for their lives and holding on by a thread. It was an up-and-down season, and they somehow made the playoffs with an 81-81 record. After a bizarre season, it’s worth looking back at what went wrong as the team works toward a strong 2027 season.

Two of the biggest problems for Houston’s infield in 2026 were injuries and inconsistency. While inconsistency is something the team can work to improve, injuries aren’t always preventable.

One of the biggest setbacks was losing Carlos Correa for the remainder of the season.

Correa reportedly suffered an ankle injury during pregame batting practice before the victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After further review, it was decided that Correa needed surgery and would likely be out for the season, and he was.

Losing a player like Correa was a huge blow, especially considering they already had a handful of players on the injured list at the time, including Jeremy Peña.

Christian Walker, known for going through slumps, had a pretty big one during the second half of the season. While the Astros were clawing back, trying to take the division lead and getting some of their key players back, like Hunter Brown, Walker’s performance was rocky at the plate.

Looking at Walker’s performance at the plate before and after the All-Star break, we saw a serious decline. Before the break, Walker was batting .237 with 20 home runs. After the break, his batting average dropped to .208, and he hit nine home runs. It was a significant drop during a time when Houston needed consistency the most.

Walker still has something to offer. Twenty-nine home runs on the season is not nothing, but the Astros couldn’t afford that kind of inconsistency. The second half of their season needed a boost, not another obstacle.

With Walker entering the final year of his contract, the 35-year-old’s future is uncertain. There are trade rumors swirling, and there is a chance Walker could be traded this offseason.

Trading Walker would solve their crowded infield problem. The question is whether his inconsistency outweighs what he brings to the lineup. Walker may have experienced a slump, but he was still a solid infielder looking at the errors for the season.

The Astros finished the season with 73 team fielding errors, and several of their infielders contributed to that number. Peña had 13 errors, Isaac Paredes had nine, and Jose Altuve had six. Walker, however, committed just three errors in 154 games. That being said, if they trade him, what the Astros would be giving up is a three-time Gold Glove winner.

So, heading into the 2027 season, what is the right move?

Trading Walker could help solve two problems: an overcrowded infield and the need for more consistency. In 2027, they need healthy, consistent players to avoid a chaotic, up-and-down season once again. It is just a matter of how to achieve that.