DALLAS -- Astros general manager Dana Brown departed the Winter Meetings on Wednesday afternoon without any deals being made, but the biggest news is that they're motivated to trade three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, perhaps in the coming days. Brown said Monday the team was open to trading Tucker and two-time All-Star left-hander Framber Valdez before they hit free agency in a year.

Tucker will likely make more than $15 million in arbitration this year and could be the biggest name on the free agent market in a year, meaning staying in Houston would be extremely unlikely. If the Astros could free up sizable payroll and get a couple of controllable, quality players and upper-level prospects who are close to big league ready, trading Tucker -- or Valdez -- would make sense. Valdez could make more than $18 million in arbitration.

Meanwhile, Brown maintained Tuesday he felt optimistic the Astros could re-sign free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, but the club has started to plot out life without Bregman in their lineup in 2025. Houston has offered Bregman around $156 million for six years, which falls short of what it would likely take to keep him.

“It’s difficult to think of what the work is like without Bregman, but we’re still projected, even without Bregman, to win the division,” Brown said. “If we don’t have him back, we’ll definitely try to upgrade or improve, and we’ll try to do the same at first base. … Ultimately, we don’t want to talk about life without Bregman until it’s over, because we still feel like we’ve got a shot.”

BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS

1. Corner infield: If Bregman returns, the Astros will have locked up two cornerstone infielders -- Bregman and second baseman Jose Altuve -- for the next several years. That would allow them to make a smaller move to add some depth at first base, such as a right-handed bat that could platoon with Jon Singleton. If Bregman doesn’t re-sign with the Astros, that opens the possibility of making a bigger splash at first base, whether it’s signing a free agent like Christian Walker or making a trade. The club is interested in signing free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco, who could play third base, and has been linked to Cubs infielder Isaac Paredes.

2. Starting pitching: Injuries to Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. have limited the Astros’ starting pitching depth beyond Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti. The next wave of starters in the system are unproven, underscoring the need to add a starter. The price of high-end starting pitching is high, but the Astros won’t be shopping in that area. They just need to add some depth somewhere in the rotation.

3. Relief pitching: The bullpen will be anchored next year by closer Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly, who’s been dangled in trades prior to making $14 million in the final year of his deal. They’ll return Tayler Scott, who had a breakout 2024, and have pieces in lefty Bryan King and right-hander Kaleb Ort, but the Astros could use an arm or two to bolster their depth.

4. Outfield bat: The Astros are in the market to add a bat to their outfield mix of Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers, who both hit right-handed. If they trade Tucker, they’ll undoubtedly have to acquire another outfielder who would be capable of starting in right field.

RULE 5 DRAFT

The Astros didn’t lose a player in any portion of the Rule 5 Draft and made five selections in the Minor League portion: right-handed pitchers Julio Rodriguez (Giants), Jean Pinto (Orioles) and Anderson Bido (Rockies), shortstop Jack Blomgren (Rockies), and left-handed pitcher Nick Swiney (Giants).

Rodriguez, 24, had a 3.48 ERA in 38 relief appearances across three levels in the Giants' system, spending a majority of the year in High-A Eugene. Pinto, 23, missed last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but made 22 appearances (17 starts) at High-A and Double-A in ‘23, posting a 3.10 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings. Bido, 25, had a 3.29 ERA in 38 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.

Blomgren, 26, hit .279 with 10 extra-base hits and an .829 OPS in 34 games last season, mostly at High-A Spokane. Meanwhile, Swiney, 25, spent the entire 2024 season at Double-A Richmond and had a 5.25 ERA in 72 innings, which include a pair of starts. He was originally a second-round compensatory selection by the Giants in the 2020 MLB Draft.

GM’S BOTTOM LINE

“We have a lot of good players on our Major League team; we have a lot of good players in our Minor Leagues. If we think we can improve this club by trade, we will do it. It’s got to make sense for us. Right now, we’re projected to win the division. If we can try to improve the team, we will do it.” -- Brown