Totally agree. They showed the same mentality last year with the Tucker trade and calling Smith up. It’s a bummer Smith wasn’t able to adjust and establish himself as a bonafide star last season. Adding 3 wins to this offense’s projection puts them right where they need to be and would allow them to solely focus on adding pitching which plays to their core competency. My hope when Dana Brown was hired was that he would fix the issue with adding/developing core hitters while they maintained their ability with Miller/Murphy to add/develop pitching. It hasn’t worked out that way yet but it’s too early to render final judgement.
I prefer this to the all-in approach. I think we were very competitive last year with the young guys getting their feet wet and the team learning what they need to work on. It’s going to be tough without Framber, so I think they definitely find a way to get a couple of vet pitchers that can give them 4-5 innings of decent pitching. If we are in the hunt at the deadline, then maybe they’ll take a gamble then. I was intrigued when someone talked about a Hader trade. Could we maybe get a MoR starter for him? Would it be worth it?
I don’t think they need to trade Hader and I don’t think they’d be able to find the right deal to make it work if they wanted to. Crane loves Hader so it’s not happening anyway. Looking at the free agent list, Verlander and Giolito are probably the 2 best pitchers available who don’t have a QO attached, and Houston can definitely afford at least one of them. If they trade Meyers and Sanchez then they can probably afford both. For now that’s my hope.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/twins-sign-josh-bell.html No wonder the Astros tendered Sanchez. Josh Bell out there getting $7M. I’m starting to get hopeful for what kind of return Houston can get for Sanchez and Meyers, but even if they stick with them at least we know they both represent good value for their salary.
Sounds like a plan. I’ll be disappointed if both Cam and Cole don’t get a shot this year. We still have the conundrum of where Paredes is going to play, but I don’t want him traded, I want him extended.
I agree. This has been my thinking since last off-season. It is more dire this year because of losing Framber. In 2017 the Astros were paying Altuve, Bregman, Springer, and Correa COMBINED less than 10 million dollars. The extreme amount of value they had back then was key to their success. That is incredibly difficult to replicate when you lose picks because of the cheating, are constantly picking at the end of the 1st round because of deep playoff runs, and sign players in back to back years that have qualifying offers attached which cost more draft picks. They "went for it" and now the bill is coming due.
I find it pretty odd that they didn’t avoid QO free agents and stay under the CBT at least while their farm was reeling from the sign stealing penalties. Instead they did the opposite. They were overconfident in their ability to “win” the later rounds of the draft.
It's my belief as long as they've got pitching and Alvarez they've got a chance. The pitching in the minors is what excites me. If they can hold onto that and add a vet bat or 2 in FA they should remain contenders for awhile. If they trade for and hit on a guy like Baz then they can keep this going in the present and in the future. Another key to the Stros success is that their infield has been great both offensively and defensively for the last decade. I'm torn on whether to go for it this year with Pena soon going to become a fa and Altuve, Correa again. The defense should still be there next year. The bats are starting to age. This is why I would definitely consider moving Parades LF and signing JV, Giolito. What would really help is if Cam could become a star level player. Pena SS Correa 3B Alvarez DH Parades LF Altuve 2B Diaz C Walker 1B Cam RF Cole CF Brown Giolito JV Arrighetti Javier If they could somehow pull off a trade for a young LHB that would be awesome.
More than losing the draft picks, if they are going to operate on the cheap, they can't afford to make contract mistakes like LMJ, Montero, Abreu, Walker and they may be able to overcome those mistakes without TJ to Javier, Garcia, Blanco etc...
I’d be pretty optimistic about that roster. It’s easy to forget that Smith, Matthews, and Melton all were on Top 100 lists in the last 2 years. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if one or more of those guys becomes a really good big leaguer. Cole and Dezenzo carry more risk and less pedigree but those 2 guys also have a decent chance to be good players. At some point Houston has to let their younger guys get established.
Paredes to LF when he can barely run is something. You guys just throwing out lineups without actually considering the fact that Paredes isn't very likely to play LF is just hilarious. You have entrenched Astros at DH, 3B, and 2B. The 3 positions that Paredes plays the most. You have a shitty contract at 1B that you can't move to make room for him there, and you have a gapping hole in LF/RF that screams I need another LH bat. It seems obvious what the organization needs to do.
Actually what’s hilarious is this notion that major league rosters and lineups are static things written in ink throughout an entire season. It’s not like any single player on Houston’s roster is strictly limited solely to 100% DH. Alvarez in LF (with Paredes at DH) is perfectly reasonable. Will that be the positioning for 100+ games? Of course not. But is it possible to get all of their “good” hitters 500+ plate appearances across the season, even if they all stay healthy? Absolutely. So yes, penciling in Paredes in LF is not realistic, but it’s no more “hilarious” than being so dismissive of the idea of keeping the best hitters you have and making it work.
I really don’t see the downside of starting Cole and/or Cam if they are replacing Myers. Myers had a good year, but the premium he provides over those guys is not worth not giving them their shot. Both are good defensive players with upside bats, especially from the power perspective. Cole can steal bases and as a bonus is a LH bat. Trade Myers for sure. I could see hanging on to Sanchez to see if he can comeback from last season, although he is not good in the field. My preference if we are not going all in: Pena SS Paredes 2b/3b/DH Alvarez DH/LF Correa 3b Diaz C Altuve 2b/DH/LF Walker 1b Cam RF Cole Cf Pitching whatever they come up. Not popular, but I’d rather they try something other than Verlander.
It's a shame Dana didn't do his job and send Cam down for the last 2 months. Playing was not EVER going to fix his exhaustion. It was obvious to everyone that he was done until 2026.
Yeah I think in hindsight they should have sent him down at the end of July and let him rest in August in AAA and called him back up for the last 3 weeks of the season if they thought he’d be successful. That would have not only bought a year of control but also given him so momentum going into 2026.
FWIW I was able to speak to one of my friends with the Astros - nothing has changed for the Astros. They are waiting for some of the dominoes to fall before things happen. Some of the top free agents and trade candidates have to move before the Astros can really get involved because the Astros are not in on the absolute top players in FA and in trade. So, teams with the players the Astros want are waiting to see the fallout after a few of these guys sign contracts and top deals are made. Other interesting things said: Not optimistic on getting Donovan. However, didn’t expect to get him because half the league wants him and the ask for him is high enough that the Astros think they may be able to fill multiple spots for the same amount in prospect capital. They are pretty confident that they will get at least one starter that can start a playoff game and think they have a chance for more. I asked about the budget. I was told that this season isn't any different than any other in that the front office is going to try and stay under the tax, but that if there is an opportunity that is a difference maker, and at a good contract - that Crane will listen and decide. The Astros have listened on just about everyone on the roster, that includes Pena (contrary to what Espada said) and Cam Smith. It isn't anything really new to me TBH, but I figured I would pass it along.
