The Houston Astros have had a busy offseason, and it doesn't look like they are done when it comes to constructing their roster. While fans are holding out hope they will be able to re-sign star third baseman Alex Bregman, the team made a smaller move on Wednesday night to re-sign veteran outfielder Ben Gamel.

Gamel split his time in 2024 with the New York Mets and Astros, remaining a versatile veteran outfielder who can fill in off the bench in a pinch. After a lengthy stint on the free agent market, Gamel ended up re-signing with the Astros, as he put pen to paper on a one-year, $1.2 million contract on Wednesday night.

“Outfielder Ben Gamel and the Houston Astros are in agreement on a one-year, $1.2 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Gamel's deal is a major league contract that includes a $200,000 signing bonus, and the remaining $1 million is non-guaranteed,” Jeff Passan of ESPN reported in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Astros shore up outfield depth by re-signing Ben Gamel

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Gamel only played in 20 games for Houston last year, hitting at a .259 clip with one home run and four runs batted in. Mauricio Dubon, Jake Meyers, and Chas McCormick are penciled in as the starting outfielders as of right now, but after trading Kyle Tucker away to the Chicago Cubs, the need for some extra depth in the outfield necessitated this deal for Gamel.

There's a chance Gamel won't stick with the major league team, but he's got familiarity with the Astros, and his ability to play all three spots in the outfield gives him an inside track to find a way to stick around. This isn't a groundbreaking move for Houston, but having depth is crucial over the course of a full 162-game season, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Gamel make some sort of contribution over the course of the season now that he's back with the ‘Stros.