Will Yet Another Adjustment To The Roster Work For The Astros?

Houston Astros

I don’t know of a team that has had stronger feelings about them one way or another than the Houston Astros. There are very few teams that have been as successful as them over the past decade or so, but there are also very few that have ever been proven to cheat during games. (I’m sure many teams cheat or look for advantages, but this was a proven thing.) While it may be time to let that go, is it also time to let go of the Astros as one of the best teams in the AL West?

Last season recap:

The Astros had a good year, winning 87 games, but they didn’t have a good enough year as they lost the tie-breaker to the Detroit Tigers for the final Wild Card spot. What I find interesting about the Astros is that they seem to have success no matter who is on their roster. Last year at the trade deadline, they were 62-47 and had a clear chance to get the AL West. They made efforts and got Carlos Correa back. Still, the team stumbled a bit, especially late, losing six of their final nine games and missing out on both the AL West and the Wild Card spot.

Offseason moves:

So how did the Astros try to deal with the "close but no cigar" of missing the playoffs last year? They let Framber Valdez walk. It feels like more than any team, the Astros have been comfortable letting their preimer players, mainstays that have helped them to all this winning, leave the franchise. Gerrit Cole, Valdez, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others have all left. Yet, they still win. This year, they didn’t do much in the offseason other than signing some bullpen guys and depth. However, they did get Tatsuya Imai. Imai was regarded as potentially a great pitcher, but the market kind of evaporated for him. If he performs well, it will be a steal of a contract for Houston. 

May 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) delivers a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Roster:

This isn’t a lineup that has superstars everywhere like they once did, but they do still have quite a bit of talent. Yordan Alvarez is healthy and should help with the reduction in runs scored that Houston had last season. A full season of Carlos Correa will also be a bonus. Isaac Paredes is a good trade piece or could be a DH option for the club. Jose Altuve is past his prime, so I’m not sure how much production you’ll get from him. The remainder of the lineup is filled with guys that are good, but not necessarily ones you want to rely on. The rotation does have a few highlights. I think Hunter Brown could be one of the best arms in the game at some point. Cristian Javier has been very good at times. Imai, Spencer Arrighetti, Jason Alexander, Brandon Walter, and others all have a chance to serve the Astros with good time as well. Their bullpen is headlined by Josh Hader, one of the better closers in the league, but not quite as "shutdown" as he used to be. 

Betting outlook:

The expectation is that Houston is going to do exactly what they did last year. The win total is at 86.5 which speaks to two things: they are good at retooling each year, and they are deep. What I have a problem with is that other teams seem to be getting better while the Astros stay the same or get worse. I’m looking at their under, but I do think it is a risky endeavor. I will play them to miss the playoffs at +150. I don’t see them as one of the best seven six teams in the American League.  

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