ESPN.com's Buster Olney has learned that the Astros only have the flexibility to make minor moves, perhaps adding a right-handed hitting third baseman to platoon with Geoff Blum.
Blum hit only .247 with 10 home runs, and is a career .250 hitter. If the Astros could land a perennial hitter at a bargain rate, Blum could easily be moved to a bench role.
With that said, Troy Glaus is coming off a season in which he appeared in only 14 games, hitting just .172. The 33-year old right-hander could be reduced to a one or two year deal, worth 5-6 million dollars annually.
Glaus has a lot of upside, never hitting less than 27 home runs when healthy enough to reach 500 at-bats. He is a Type-B free agent.
Melvin Mora is also a Type-B free agent, despite putting up his lowest home runs total since 2001. A change of scenery could benefit the .278 career hitter, who will be 38 in February. He certainly can be had on a one year deal in the range of 4-5 million dollars.
If you are an Astros fan, who would you rather have: Troy Glaus or Melvin Mora?