This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart's Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Altuve, who stands 5-foot-6, has never played the outfield at any point over his more than 15,000 defensive innings.

Jose Altuve stated his openness to a position change in the context of a specific pursuit, saying he would “do whatever,” including move from second base, if it helped the Houston Astros re-sign Alex Bregman.

Pressly never aired any grievances publicly and continued to serve as a model teammate throughout his uneven 2024 season.

A year ago, the Houston Astros added to their bullpen with the type of free-agent splash they rarely make, signing closer Josh Hader in a move meant to build a late-innings trio that would let them shorten games from the back end.

The Chicago Cubs have acquired right-hander Ryan Pressly and cash from the Houston Astros for minor league pitcher Juan Bello