I think it's actually 1.5 for 6. Good Peter Lambert (Free Agent) Kai-Wei Teng (Trade) Horrid Ryan Weiss (Free Agent) Tatsuya Imai (Free Agent) Mike Burrows (Trade) Roddery Muñoz (Rule 5)
Pearson, Roa, and Bolton are in the mix too although none of them have had much influence one way or the other. I think Lambert is producing close to what the hope was for Burrows so those kind of cancel each other out. And evaluating Teng and Weiss together is a push in my opinion. The real bust has been Imai, because he cost so much more resources than all the other pitchers they brought in, and because his failures have had such a dramatic impact downstream because it chewed up the bullpen; as bad as Burrows has been, he has at least pitched consistently into the 5th inning so his harm is limited to his own appearances. A guy like Weiss who cost a few million or a Rule 5 pick like Munoz should have very low expectations. But when they traded 2 of their top 5 prospects for Burrows and spend $50M+ on Imai, those two guys HAD to produce.
Burrows was worse IMHO. Dana gave up prospects including a pitcher I liked a lot for a pitcher with the straightest 95 mph FB that I've seen in a long time. This makes me really question his ability when it comes to evaluating MLB level talent. He may be a great scout when it comes to drafting players, but if he cant do better than Burrows/Sanchez etc... when it comes to trading for MLB level talent the Stros org is in a world of trouble regardless of how good of a scout Dana is. Trades is where the previous regime excelled. Now days that's not the case anymore.
TBF, Burrows had 100 innings of MLB experience showing he could play. Some guys get figured out, but he's also dramatically dropped his arm angle. Something is wrong with him. Mentally or physically. Wouldn't shock me to see him bounce back, but I think he'll have to do it with another team.
I'd love to see all the posts by people bemoaning the trade for Burrows when it happened. ...and the signing of Imai
I’ll be the first one to say I liked the Burrows addition. At worst I thought he’d be 3/4 type and had some upside for more. For whatever reason, it hasn’t happened. Misses happen, I understand that. The fact he is still on the roster right now is ridiculous though and makes me think Dana’s ego is the reason. Besides the fact Burrows has no business on the active roster right now, Imai is pitching tonight…could use another fresh body in the pen in case he implodes. Someone should have been on a flight first thing this morning.
Given our recent injury return track record I can't say with much confidence Wesneski and Blanco won't suck. However between those 2 and Pecko it's near impossible that at least one of them isn't a significant upgrade from Burrows. Hell just cobble together some tandems with the option guys shuttling to AAA once a month.
To make that mentioned AL get in 86wins have now changed needing to go 40-27 because already played 95. Deadline on August 3rd and let's say Dana gets to make his big boy buy moves (Crane realises CBA will stop everything and he will hand reigns to son anyway so let's fking go one time baby) on August 2nd. The Rangers game on that day is 113th. It looks like now that the AL WC hardly does't even take 83-84 win to make. Have to consider everybody are fighting tooth and nail to not be sellers and be in atleast WC picture. When smart teams realise that season is done, sell and start to plan for next season the teams that got stronger and are super focused and motivated are much more likely to rack up win streaks. Im not seeing us doing like 10game win streak even if pitching settles because it would need to be done despite Espada. Sensing and feeling what has to be done tonight and what left for tomorrow is way out of Joe's thinking process. Mostly he acts too late and burns everybody he was trying to save and bit more and pinch hits crowd member if ump would't stop him. We should beat Rangers when you look at their horrible lineup but if we get like swept we can officially say season is done. Ofcourse there would not be a beep of that kind from Astros FO or Joe but we fans would know. Then we just would watch insane circus of Dana asking Crane for permission to fk us bit more.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/diamondbacks-to-designate-pavin-smith-for-assignment.html Astros should try and get Smith if they don’t have to give anything up. He rarely whiffs or chases and he walks a good amount. He crushed RHP in 2024-2025. I think he’s a mild upgrade over LaMonte Wade.
Before he became a superstar, Yordan Alvarez walked barefoot all day around Colombia, a countryside city within the large Cuban province of Las Tunas. He fished for tilapia in the Tana River and hunted doves that flew overhead. “Having a rifle back then was a luxury,” Alvarez said last month through an interpreter. “So we used to use slingshots. I was great at doing that.” Alvarez remains an avid outdoorsman who can afford more appropriate ammunition to hunt on Texas ranches. It is why he loves Houston, the city he continues to captivate. “There’s a lot of places to go hunting and fishing,” he said, “you got the rivers and you have the oceans as well.” The water is Alvarez’s outlet, a place where he escapes from the excitement and chaos of his chosen profession. “When I get on the boat,” Alvarez said, “those are the hours that I’m in my calmness and at peace.” It is difficult to tell a difference once Alvarez disembarks. His constant state is somewhere between stoic and serene, whether he’s struck out four times or just slugged another of his American League-high 29 home runs. Alvarez’s Houston Astros teammates stand in awe of his accomplishments. The man himself appears almost unmoved. “That’s a lost art, honestly,” closer Josh Hader said. “Everybody shows emotion differently. Some people will MF you. People show emotions differently. But the way that he handles himself and goes about his business is definitely a lost art.” more at the link: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7406517/2026/07/09/astros-yordan-alvarez-stone-faced-superstar/
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/astros-designate-braden-shewmake-for-assignment.html Shewmake DFA. Hope he clears, I like him.
