Well I have defended Dusty all year and still have no issues with how he managed in the regular season because the team did what he was overseeing it to do - get the #1 AL seed. And have always thought his bullpen management the past 2 post seasons has been very good. But his decisions to keep JV and Lance in too long have cost us. I realize that for a team like Houston, starter going less than 5 usually causes its own problems but the bullpen has multiple guys who are rested and can go multiple innings - very effectively. In game 1 Dusty HAS to take JV out after the first 2 reach in the 5th. It's game 1 and the entire bullpen in rested and has been nails. That cost them the game. In game 3 after Lance gave up 4 runs in the first 2 innings, 9 hitters Dusty has to have him on a short leash. One more baserunner and bring in the bullpen. When Marsh singles that has to be his last batter - especially with top of order coming up. Turns out didn't hurt because you can't win without scoring but Dusty simply HAS to make these moves
Can the Astros trade Lance McCullers and get 2 Top Prospects. The Astros I think should consider this because Hunter Brown and Forrest Whitley can be Starters out of Spring Training.
No With his contract and injury history he would not get much in return. And counting on Whitley would be a HUGE mistake. He still has a chance but getting very unlikely.
Took another look at McCullers’ savant data for this season and it’s not pretty. He still looks like he did several starts ago: he is a 2 pitch pitcher without a fastball. He can spin a curveball better than 95% of MLB pitchers and his changeup has good movement. But both his slider and fastball (both of which he throws more than his curve and change) are slow and straight and he can’t locate. With a guy coming off that long of an absence who knows what can change, but until he either starts throwing his curveball 40%+ of the time or somehow miraculously adds 3 mph back to his fastball, he’s not going to be a good pitcher.
If he was left-handed with a deceptive delivery he could get by with his stuff. Alas...RH junkballers don't exist in MLB anymore
His curve is good enough to pair with his change and be moderately successful, but he’d have to throw those 2 pitches 80% of the time, and his arm would inevitably blow up. But it’s gonna come to a head, they can’t keep forfeiting 10% of their games running him out there in his current form.
We can't expect him to get 15-18 outs with that stuff. He should be able to get 3 or 4 outs though. Put him in the pen.
I don’t know. Like I said his arm would almost certainly blow up in short order throwing 50%+ curveballs, regardless of whether he’s doing it out of the pen or in the rotation. I think he could get 5 quality innings pretty regularly throwing 50% curves, 30% changeups, 10% sinkers, and 10% cutters. He should just do that until he gets hurt, then hang it up.
I do not believe it is fair to any player to ask him to play for an inevitable injury. It is time to talk to him about hanging it up. Putting him out there is basically conceding, it is unfair to the other players who are trying to win. If a game is out of reach I could see using him to finish it off, but I do not think he would like to end his career that way.
I could see Lance trying to hang on for the length of his contract. I could also see him retiring after this year, if he doesn’t improve. I think the next 4-6 weeks will determine a lot
MLB Trade Deadline to trade Lance McCullers away for Prospects is needed. Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Spencer Arrighetti returning to the Rotation over Colton Gordon, Brandon Walter, Lance McCullers, Ryan Gusto. Luis Garcia return Late July, Early August Cristian Javier return is Mid August https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/cristian-javier-begins-rehab-assignment.html
McCullers has a no trade clause and no trade value. He’s not going anywhere unless Houston releases him Jose Abreu style.
It looks like a release is possible, won't be a good look for Scott Boras, won't sit well with him. Astros have to bite the bullet and throw Lance out there for another month. Problem is Jeremy Pena and Hunter Brown are Scott Boras clients.
Not smart on the Astros part. Full No Trade Clause is ridiculous for a Pitcher. Scott Boras special is a Full No Trade Clause since Carlos Beltran wanted Full No Trade Clause that is why he left the Astros the First Time in his prime.
