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MLB MLB Spring Training Joey Loperfido, under team control through 2030, still has minor league options. Nic Antaya / Getty Images WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — In a cost-saving move expected to facilitate more player movement, the Houston Astros on Friday traded struggling outfielder Jesús Sánchez to the Toronto Blue Jays for Joey Loperfido, formerly a top Astros farmhand dealt during the 2024 season. “We’re not done yet, ” Astros general manager Dana Brown said after announcing the move during an impromptu meeting with reporters at the team’s spring training facility. “This is just one of those moves that we’re locking into as we continue to focus on left-handed bats and the future of this organization. ” Advertisement Brown and his baseball operations team remain in trade discussions regarding Houston’s infield surplus, according to multiple team sources. Displaced third baseman Isaac Paredes is the most popular name in talks, but Houston would also be amenable to moving first baseman Christian Walker, who has $40 million remaining on his contract. Walker’s salary, age (34) and six-team no-trade clause have diminished most of his trade value. At least five teams have expressed interest in 26-year-old Paredes, according to team sources. Brown has not hidden his desire to add an established, left-handed-hitting outfielder to the Astros’ otherwise unsettled group. Any potential return for Paredes is likely to include one. Brown acknowledged before the team’s workout on Friday that he is “still focused on left-handed bats, ” even after landing one in Loperfido. Loperfido enters a wide-open competition for playing time in Houston’s outfield, joining returning right fielder Cam Smith, center fielder Jake Meyers and heralded rookie Zach Cole. Manager Joe Espada said Loperfido will see Grapefruit League action at all three spots and sounded encouraged by the offensive strides Loperfido made with Toronto. “Hhe made some changes last year where (the) strikeout rate went down 10 percent, ” Espada said. “He’s hitting balls hard, staying in the (strike) zone and he’s a pretty dynamic defender, too. … He brings a lot of good things to the table. ” Loperfido posted an . 879 OPS in limited major-league action last season, one in which he fought for playing time within Toronto’s loaded lineup. He hit . 264/. 341/. 401 in 373 plate appearances for Triple-A Buffalo. Re-acquiring Loperfido, who’s expected in Astros camp on Saturday, raises the floor of Houston’s outfield while making the roster more functional. Unlike Sánchez, Loperfido has minor-league options remaining. That he is making the major-league minimum salary doesn’t hurt, either, for a team remaining mindful of its proximity to the luxury tax threshold. Advertisement Sánchez will earn $6. 8 million this season — a sizable sum for someone who did not have a clear path to everyday playing time with the Astros. Earlier this offseason, Houston cut an estimated $15. 6 million in salary by trading Mauricio Dubón and releasing Chas Mc Cormick and Luis Garcia. The team reinvested that money into Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai. Offloading the money owed to Sánchez may also increase Houston’s appetite for taking on a more sizable contract in any potential return for Paredes, who will make $9. 35 million this season. Parting with Sánchez admits defeat on last season’s trade deadline deal that brought him to Houston from the Miami Marlins. Brown acquired him in August for a three-player package in hopes that Sánchez could take everyday right field duties from Smith. Instead, Sánchez slashed . 199/. 269/. 342 in 160 plate appearances after the trade. He was prone to defensive gaffes wherever Espada attempted to play him, and, according to team sources, there were concerns about the player struggling with expectations. “He worked really hard to make an impact, ” Espada said on Friday. “He came out (initially) and swung the bat really well and toward the end, things did not go the way he wanted … He’s an incredible human and he’s got the respect from our players in that clubhouse. ” Even after news of Anthony Santander’s shoulder surgery, Loperfido seemed unlikely to win a spot on Toronto’s Opening Day roster, especially with Nathan Lukes in the fold. The Astros sent Loperfido to Toronto in 2024 as part of the three-player package it used to acquire starter Yusei Kikuchi. On the day of that move, Espada had to deliver the news to Loperfido in the middle of a game in Houston. Loperfido, a beloved figure inside the Astros’ clubhouse, gave a tearful interview following the trade. Advertisement “The beauty about this, this game works in mysterious ways, ” Espada said. “At the time, it was the right move to acquire Kikuchi, who had a huge impact in our rotation and we needed it. But just because (of) how we feel about Joey, and as we continued to track him and his progress, that’s why this decision was made. “We know the type of player we’re getting but also the individual and his character. ” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Chandler Rome is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the Houston Astros. Before joining The Athletic, he covered the Astros for five years at the Houston Chronicle. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University. Follow Chandler on Twitter @Chandler_Rome