Even as the MLB season rapidly approaches in about a month, the left field situation for the Houston Astros remains unsettled. While it might be late to make any more trade moves, the Astros said they are not done yet. Something that the Astros front office has always been looking for has been a good left-handed bat.
Astros Get Fan Favorite Outfielder Back Who Could Play Key Role
Houston acquired Jesús Sánchez at the trade deadline last year, but that did not end up panning out too well. While the Astros could’ve stuck with him, they chose to make a move that benefits them long term. On Feb. 13, the Astros made a one-for-one trade swap and sent Sánchez to the Toronto Blue Jays for former Astros outfielder Joey Loperfido.
What Loperfido Did in Toronto
In 41 major league games with the Blue Jays last season, Loperfido put up an impressive .333 average and .879 OPS. He had 32 hits in 96 at-bats along with four home runs and 14 RBI. He struck out just 27 times. Compare that to 95 strikeouts in 81 games in his rookie season of 2024. Loperfido spent most of his time in the minors at Triple-A Buffalo last season before getting called up in July. He hit .264 with a .742 OPS in 91 games along with seven homers and 44 RBI.
Most of Loperfido’s action with the Blue Jays last season came in the second half of the season from July-September. He remained on the roster during Toronto’s run to the World Series and got an at-bat during the ALCS.
Astros Outfielder Returns
The 26-year-old was a seventh-round pick for the Astros out of Duke in 2021 and quickly became one of their top prospects. Loperfido worked through the Astros minor league system and got to the Triple-A level in Sugar Land in 2024 before getting called up to the big leagues for the first time in April. The talent was quite evident from the get-go, with his athleticism in the field and electricity across the bases giving life to the team.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound outfielder struggled with the bat and was going back and forth between the Triple-A level and Houston before becoming an almost everyday contributor for the Astros in July 2024. Loperfido got traded to the Blue Jays on July 29 in a surprising move along with Jake Bloss and Will Wagner for starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.
He was now asked about fans being upset when he got traded.
“You just take it as a compliment for people to be invested in your career and follow you along,” Loperfido said.
Many Astros fans were angry when Joey Loperfido was traded away in 2024. He took it as ‘a compliment.’
When I asked him about it, he also revealed he believes his parents’ dog still has an #Astros-themed collar. @KHOU pic.twitter.com/XhhexwOqLz
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) February 15, 2026
He was a fan favorite in Houston, and grew emotional at the time after hearing the news that he was traded. Houston was a place that was a special home to him, and he took a lot of pride in being a homegrown Astros player from the draft to the show. The trade benefited the Astros, as Kikuchi strengthened the rotation and helped them reach their eighth straight postseason.
Loperfido was emotional when he was traded from the Astros to the Blue Jays in 2024. “This place feels like home. I wish everybody could be treated the way I was treated.”
He’ll be back home tomorrow. https://t.co/AZWvbDxNS6
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 13, 2026
Benefits to the Astros
Fast forward to now, the Astros were in a position to look for another outfielder, and the club liked what they saw out of Loperfido last season. Sánchez is two years older, and Loperfido also offers five years of team control. Sanchez was expected to make $6.8 million this season, and Houston saved money in this move. Loperfido has the potential to offer more than Sánchez, while being an even better glove.
Sánchez hit just .199 along with a .611 OPS in 48 games. Those numbers are even lower than what Loperfido hit in his 38 games with the Astros in his rookie season. He was the sixth-ranked prospect at the time and hit .236 with a .657 OPS in 38 games along with two homers and 16 RBI. Loperfido played the rest of 2024 in the big leagues with the Blue Jays and further struggled, but there was significant growth in 2025.
Astros GM Dana Brown mentioned his interest in a left-handed bat again, and players who were above-average to plus defenders. They believe that Loperfido’s bat is going in the right direction.
Brown wouldn’t go as far as to say he was one of the main targets, but the Astros front office liked his five years of control and thought it would be a “nice trade for us”. Brown talked to Loperfido when he was traded.
“He’s fired up. It was very tough when he left here last time, very emotional for him, and we know how special his makeup is,” Brown said.
Dana Brown on acquiring Loperfido pic.twitter.com/IZKZL4PWQ7
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 13, 2026
How Loperfido Has Improved
Astros manager Joe Espada repeated that Loperfido is trending in the right direction and highlighted the offensive changes he made. Espada pointed to Loperfido hitting the ball hard and staying in the zone. Loperfido posted a career-high 140 OPS+ in 96 at-bats last year and cut his strikeout rate by 10 percent.
“He brings a lot of good things to the table, so excited to have him back,” Espada said.
Loperfido will play all three outfield positions in spring training, and compete for a consistent spot in the lineup or off the bench. There still is an open spot in left field with second-year outfielder Zach Cole as his primary competitor for that. Espada mentioned how he’s still popular in the clubhouse with the players.
A Fit in the Culture
“It’s a familiar place. I still know a ton of guys in that clubhouse and keep in touch with them pretty regularly. And staff-wise, I feel like I know a lot of the guys that were there when I was playing there in ’24, so if I had to go anywhere, I would say it’s going to be awesome to go back there. Loved playing there. Great fan base, obviously, and a great team. So if I had to go anywhere, I’m happy to go back to Houston,” Loperfido said.
The Astros head man said they know the kind of player they are getting but also as an individual with his driven character.
Joey Loperfido: “I took a ton of pride in being a homegrown player and getting to play all through the minors with this team, get to debut and play in the major leagues with that team. I still take a lot of pride in being a homegrown Astro.”
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 14, 2026
Loperfido mentioned how the clubhouse environment was similar in Toronto to Houston.
“When they said I was going back to Houston, I was relieved just because I know the clubhouse I was going back to, and just felt that sense of pride that I was going back to where everything started,” Loperfido said.
He’s now back home and with a chance for a real opportunity to play in left field. A strong spring training from Loperfido could give him the green light as a starting Astros outfielder.
Main Photo Credits: William Liang-Imagn Images