The Opener: Astros Candidates, NL East Targets, More FA Rankings

Free agency has yet to pick up. Once the ball gets rolling, it’ll be tough to keep up with who’s still available. That’s where our nifty Free Agent Tracker tool comes in. It’s the best way to monitor the market throughout the offseason. 1. List of Astros’ choices grows Newly-minted GM Randy Flores said at his intro press conference earlier this week that finding a manager is his top focus. That’s certainly played out with several candidates tabbed for interviews in recent days. Before Flores was hired, the only option known to be in the mix for the vacancy was Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus. Rangers’ bench coach Luis Urueta joined the list on Tuesday. Yesterday, Albert Pujols and Morgan Ensberg emerged as candidates. If you were involved in the 2005 NLCS, keep your phone nearby. 2. Offseason shopping lists in the NL East The NL East featured several interesting storylines in 2026. The Nationals and Marlins stayed in the postseason race for longer than expected. The Phillies fired their manager in April, then stormed back into the playoff picture, then nearly collapsed. The Mets had a disastrous year. There was a lot going on. The division should be busy this offseason, and plans for each squad are coming together. Miami is looking to make additions on both sides of the ball. New York wants a platoon partner for Jared Young. Philly is pursuing lefty relievers. 3. Who missed the Top 50 FAs cut? Our annual Top 50 Free Agents list dropped on Monday. It’s not easy to narrow down the rankings, especially on the back end. So who came up just short? Anthony Franco outlined the next 10 players in the free agent rankings in this post. The group includes a former Cy Young winner and a World Series MVP. Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images View Comments (1)