Blue Jays could zero in on two pricey Astros bats after Tatsuya Imai decision

Tatsuya Imai is unsurprisingly not opting out his contract with the Houston Astros, and that decision makes Houston’s need to shed additional payroll this offseason even clearer.

The Athletic’s Chandler Rome wrote that Houston’s front office, specifically owner Jim Crane, could look to shed payroll this offseason. With Imai’s salary now staying on the books for 2027, that pressure only grows.

So who might Houston be willing to trade? Two of the guys who are likely on the block are a pair of corner infielders.

"Expect [Isaac] Paredes and [Christian] Walker to be discussed as potential trade pieces, though moving Walker could require Crane paying down a substantial portion of the $20 million he's owed next season," Rome wrote.

Paredes, who hit 25 home runs and drove in 94 runs, has a $13.35 million 2027 club option that the Astros will most likely pick up, per Rome. He can play either corner infield spot.

Meanwhile, Walker is a three-time Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman who connected for 29 homers with a .727 OPS. He's eight years older than Paredes and would be more of a financial commitment.

With both of them hitting free agency after 2027, the Blue Jays taking a one-year flier on either is tantalizing.

Blue Jays could pursue Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker as Astros look to shed payroll

The case for Isaac Paredes

The case for Paredes is that he’s a 27-year-old power bat who has never had a BB% lower than 10.2% in any full season going back to 2022. He also cut down his K% in 2026, posting a 13.4% rate last season compared to 17.4% in 2025.

The con for Paredes is that he plays the same positions as Kazuma Okamoto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – though he did make three appearances (25 innings) at second base in 2026 and has 70 career games there at the MLB level with a .991 fielding percentage, a +4 OAA rating and +3 FRV.

Could there be a scenario where Paredes comes to Toronto to play second? Maybe not, but it’s something that wouldn’t be completely out of nowhere to explore. Something more probable would be giving him more starts at DH, with spot starts in the field when Okamoto and Guerrero need a few days off their feet.

The case for Christian Walker

The 35-year-old right-handed hitting Walker fits the same offensive needs as Paredes but with an even longer track record of slugging prowess. His 23.1% strikeout rate from last year is on the higher end, but the Blue Jays would happily take his 29 home runs, .427 SLG and .727 OPS to go along with a 110 wRC+ over the last five seasons.

The con for him is that he’s exclusively a first baseman, albeit a good one. Would he happily come over in a trade and settle for more games as a DH? Maybe not on a walk year.

The Blue Jays would also find themselves in a similar situation to last year where George Springer was basically their full-time DH and that limited them in getting more fluid with their lineup and defensive alignments. Though a guy who’s going to threaten 30 bombs is much more palatable in a DH role than a guy who struggled for large chunks of the year and finished with 15 home runs.

The Anthony Santander factor

The caveat in all of this is that the Blue would likely have to get someone to take Anthony Santander off their hands to make any of this work.

It’s very unlikely the Blue Jays could field a roster with one of Paredes or Walker as well as Santander. Sure, there is a scenario where Santander is the team’s everyday right fielder and these guys take their place at DH – but does anyone really want to see that?

Regardless of who the the Blue Jays could flip Santander to, Houston will be looking for pitching help in any deal they make. The amount of pitching the Astros get from Toronto, and the potential impact of said pitcher, could be determined by how much money changes hands. The Blue Jays could take on all the salary while sending back a lower rated pitching prospect.

These aren't the cleanest fits at this moment for the Blue Jays, but as they search for ways to insulate Guerrero Jr. with some power protection, they'll have to get creative and explore all options. Their deep pockets should at least get them to the table with the Astros who are looking to tighten theirs.

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