The Astros 2026: WWJLD?

Since Astros fans are in the blame game right now regarding Dana Brown and to a lesser (or larger) degree Joe Espada it is natural to ask WWJLD. What Would Jeff Luhnow Do? And maybe for some it is WWAJHD – What Would A.J. Hinch Do?

But I write this sucker, so I get to choose the acronym and today it is WWJLD?

And I am not sure of the answer.

Over the golden seasons there was usually a consensus about what the team should do and often the GM in charge did just that.

In 2017 it felt like the team needed a pitching stud to join the rotation and voila in came Justin Verlander. In 2019, they were worried about having a reliable 3rd starter behind Verlander and Gerrit Cole which resulted in the blockbuster trade for Zack Greinke. Near the 2021 deadline they were short on relief pitching so they brought in Kendall Graveman, Yimi Garcia, Rafael Montero and Phil Maton (with Yainer Diaz). In 2022 they wanted some bullpen help (Will Smith) and a veteran bat (Trey Mancini).

Not saying these always worked but it seemed that there was a limited area to shore up on the team.

But this is 2026 and we’re not in 2017 any more Toto.

Do we patch the Titanic or do we help the orchestra rearrange the deck chairs?

WWJLD?

  • Would Jeff try to shore up the pitching? And with what? If they were to go after a top of the line pitcher, what part of their team would they send out? Yordan Alvarez and a couple prospects?
  • Would he say – hold on a bit – wait for Hunter Brown to come back, wait for Mike Burrows to become more consistent, wait for Tatsuya Imai to have an emotional awakening?
  • Would Luhnow beat the bushes for outfielders that can whack it and trade away “prospects” that he sees as flawed, but hopes others see as flawless?
  • Would he trade away someone like Diaz who may never be what he promised?
  • Would he rebuild the bullpen from within or without?
  • Would he stay the course thinking that this team will be much better in 2027 even if they don’t have a great 2026?
  • Or would he pull the plug on 2026 and possibly 2027 and start trading off pieces like Yordan Alvarez, and Jeremy Pena for future gold in a pile of prospects?

I can be mad at Jim Crane and Dana Brown for getting us in this mess, but are there actually moves that must be made and that are sure-fire positive moves?

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28 responses to “The Astros 2026: WWJLD?”

  1. Honestly, I feel that Jeff would not have let the team fall into this position to begin with. He always seemed to have that “knack” for what is best for the team and really bother the beejangles out of the other GMs. True, he did not ace every move but he was the best at what Jim Crane needed.

    I will surmise what Jeff would do if he were to come back, as GM, at this moment.

    • Would Jeff try to shore up the pitching? I feel he could come up with a couple of gems that others just do not see as worthy of being on a big league club. I don’t believe he would send Alvarez off.
    • Would he say – hold on a bit – wait for Hunter Brown to come back, wait for Mike Burrows to become more consistent, wait for Tatsuya Imai to have an emotional awakening? These questions, yes, I believe he would. He would get that head doctor in for Imai.
    • Would Luhnow beat the bushes for outfielders that can whack it and trade away “prospects” that he sees as flawed, but hopes others see as flawless? Jeff was pretty good at that.
    • Would he trade away someone like Diaz who may never be what he promised? Yes, I feel he would. With Vasquez behind the plate now and Janek close.
    • Would he rebuild the bullpen from within or without? That bullpen gets rebuilt from the outside for now.
    • Would he stay the course thinking that this team will be much better in 2027 even if they don’t have a great 2026? Lots of tinkering to be done. Too many holes in the team right now.
    • Or would he pull the plug on 2026 and possibly 2027 and start trading off pieces like Yordan Alvarez, and Jeremy Pena for future gold in a pile of prospects? Maybe Jeremy would be gone but not Alvarez.

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  2. Favorite thoughts from last night:

    What a great outing by Arrighetti – in some ways I was glad he lost the nohitter in the 8th – I really didn’t want him throwing 130+ pitches through nine

    I guess King is our closer until Hader returns?

    The defense behind Spencer was outstanding – especially Dezenzo’s great diving catch and a number of top notch infield plays.

    Walker looked like Yuli out there with some super picks on errant throws and made a great play in starting the one DP

    Love it when Paredes squares one up

    Shewmake with a good fielding game and another clutch hit. When Julia interviewed him after the game he looked like he could use a full meal or two

    Always love it when they beat the Rangers – it was a very good win last night

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  3. I think it possible that Luhnow, or someone else for that matter, could get this club moving in the right direction within two years. Heck, I’d give up 2026 and 2027 right now. We don’t even know if we’ll be playing baseball in 2027. Give me a much different look in 2028.

    I do think that Crane will never go for pulling the plug as long as he’s around, especially after a tease or two like last night. But that might keep him from finding a top GM prospect too.

    I think most of MLB considers the Astros in past tense. You want a good GM, you’re going to have to give him carte blanche and that’s why this Astros organization will never see a Luhnow again. There would be no carte blanche here.

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  4. Good morning! This club is not selling, even if it’s the wisest thing to do in the long run. Two in a row will do that. A sweep will have the club walking with a spring in their steps. And we’ll be getting some guys back at some point soon. Do we need Jake though? Jim Crane will not give up the ship.

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    • As excited as I am to see us beat deGrom, it always makes me uncomfortable when our team only scores off HR. Given they got to him 4 times in one game I’m going to make an exception for last night!

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  5. Thoughts

    Altuve looked like he had a Jake Meyers side issue – I’m thinking he will be out for awhile – good thing Pena is nearly back

    Teng with a very good outing – holding them at bay and stretching out to 5 innings.

    The bullpen pitched well – though too many walks – giving up 1 run in 4 innings.

    Weird offensive game with 4 homers and only 5 hits – they did make de Grom come into the zone for those dingers

    Yes break out the champagne with the two wins! Hey at least they are playing more watchable games lately

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  6. It’s hard to say what Luhnow would do.

    He and Crane were on the same page when they came in 15 years ago. They had one plan, one goal and they executed it.

    Now that you’ve won a couple WS and several ALCS, it’s hard to say.

    That said, I’m guessing he would push hard to strip down some of the assets and build back again. That’s the model he used in the beginning and, unlike Crane and others, he is not emotionally attached to these players.

    So, if my opinion, he’d say bye bye to Yordan and Hunter. Bye bye Pena. He’d try to move Walker if possible and probably make it impossible for Correa’s contract to vest in 2028-31.

    And, then, tank baby! And get a #1 or #2 for a year or two.

    That’s the Luhnow Plan.

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    • Chip, Haven’t they changed the baseball draft to a lottery system so finishing with the worst record doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a #1 pick. However, it would be nice to have a pick at or near the top for several rounds.

      Happy anniversary Dan!

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    • To be clear that anniversary is not with Chipalatta – but with my dear wife, which is quite an achievement. We started dating 50 years ago this week and our 46th wedding anniversary was Sunday. We had a lovely dinner out at Lomonte’s in Richmond and spent a nice day together.

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  8. Thoughts…

    • The official notice on Altuve – it is the same kind of injury as Meyers and so he will be out a while (not that he has been hitting particularly well…Jose Altuve Placed On IL With Oblique Strain – MLB Trade Rumors
    • With the anniversary I did not watch a minute of the Astros game, but looking at what happened I did not miss much.
    • OK – I am sure that Joe Espada had told Isaac Paredes ahead of time that he was getting Sunday off. But Altuve got hurt Saturday and as I understand it Pena should be back Monday. Can’t you just one time use your brain? You have a depleted lineup anyway, Tell Paredes to hold off a day or two for his off day.
    • On the radio they were talking about that (including Hunter Brown), the Astros are without 6 of their opening day players – Brown, Altuve, Correa, Loperfido, Meyers, Diaz, and missing Pena who would have been in the opening day lineup if he had been ready day 1.
    • The poor start by Lambert could just be a one-off or it could be folks figuring him out. It is the problem with the rotation right now – we don’t know what is real and what is mirage.
    • Well, it could be worse – the Astros did win the series against the Rangers – though we were hoping for a sweep. I wonder how the NBA Pistons and T’Wolves fans are feeling today. They both hosted a game 7 in their playoff series and were both non-competitive being slammed by the Cavs and the Spurs. (I know I am stretching here).
    • Speaking of Minnesota – the Astros head there for a series against the equally stinky Twins.

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    • Dan, congratulations to you and your wife on 46 official years together!

      Back to baseball. If Joe goes at some point, I don’t think you’ll mind. But you don’t seem to have much to say about Dana. I’d probably choose him to go home first. After all, he can still play a big role in making the future of this club even more difficult. Joe can only screw up tonight.

      Watching Imai pitch is almost can’t miss baseball. And that’s too bad for all the wrong reasons.

      Chances are the Perter Lambert mirage is fading.

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    • Lambert had a statistically poor start, but dude threw 6 scoreless. He shouldn’t have been out there for the 7th. 85 pitches was enough. He had done his job. And yes, I said that to my wife as they came back from commercial break, he is at 85 pitches, and TK says “and no one is up in the Astros bullpen.”

      For me, it’s time for Espada to go. Win the game man. I know 4 guys went out there the day before. I know King was unavailable, and probably Abreu. But its 9 outs. Find them.

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  10. I typed out something long and lost it. Happens. I’ll echo Sarge though – if Luhnow is here the whole time, probably a different team.

    BLUF – I don’t know Luhnow fixes anything. In 2022 the Astros had 4 guys in their rotation 28 and under. He found all those guys. But their arms all fell off, and that happens if Luhnow is here or not. Then the guys they found to replace them, their arms fell off too. And the contracts forced Dana to start perusing the daily DFA list. Then he found guys like Walter and their arms fell off. But Luhnow is a smart dude. Maybe he reinvents this team. Maybe he doesn’t go get Correa, but maybe that happened over Dana’s head and would have happened over Luhnow’s head. I just don’t know.

    I do know this – Luhnow took over a franchise that could do a great reset. They had the payroll at 26M at one point. No one can do that now. Imai, Javier, Altuve, Correa and Hader are multiple year contracts paying out a lot of money. I don’t see a world where you are below 150M by the end of 2027 (or 2028 if there is no baseball in 2027). Yes, Walker and Paredes are movable but they are not bringing future stars. They are likely salary dumps. The moves that have to work is Yordan, Hunter, Pena. Maybe you can get something for Yainer, but someone has to still be here. I think it’s likely Luhnow reacts to the restraints Dana was hired under the same way if he took over today.

    I don’t see them doing this. Hits everywhere, attendance, souvenirs, even commercial time on SCHN, a hit. They may not feel the urgency us fans do watching this team. They don’t lose anyone critical this offseason. They need to spend 2026 getting Imai “adjusted.” When Hunter is back he needs to be on counts. Start taking care of Burrows arm now. And find 2 pitchers to put around those guys. Maybe Lambert is one. I’m telling there is a gamer in that one. But he ain’t no Hunter Brown. The bubble could pop. Or maybe he is next Charlie Morton.

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  11. The Astros lost 6-3 last night. Imai threw strikes and a couple of dingers. I guess that makes the Astros hopeful. I think Imai would have been beaten up worse against a team with a few more aggressive bats than just old Josh Bell. Regardless, Imai put the Astros in an early hole they were not able to dig out of. I just don’t think Imai likes his job.

    Let me simplify things. Find a GM that wants this job. Find a GM that will get back to working with the remaining nerds in the cave. Send Dana and Joe home together.

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    • I agree, his body language and expressions tell me he doesn’t want to be here. Maybe its Houston, maybe its the United States, maybe he is just finding living outside of Japan too much of a culture shock. He is a veteran in baseball sense but dude is still just 28. We all know how young and dumb that is.

      But… when I was his age I was living (and pitching in) in South Korea. I had zero issues, but then again most of my teammates were Americans and we made it easier on each other. He is on an island.

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      • Yeah Steven, one either battles a new culture or embraces it. And I’ve seen a lot of both. Still makes me scratch my head sometimes.

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  12. Thoughts

    • Why did I think they were dead meat after they left the bases loaded with no outs in the first?
    • Imai did OK – he might have gone 6 innings if not for the rain. The biggest plus was 0 bases on balls. That was a big step forward.
    • Nice to have Pena back – hope he settles in quickly
    • Every other game the bullpen has to put somebody out there that maybe does not belong up here. But we can’t DFA everybody after a bad showing or two or we will run out of folks quickly. On the other hand maybe a lot of them will not get picked up elsewhere and will go back to Sugar Land. It will help if/when they get Hader back – move guys back an inning or so to fill the bill.
    • You got the tying men to the plate in the ninth in the two you wanted – Yordan and Walker but nothing came of it.
    • Supposedly Nate Pearson will be activated during the Twin series – I presume he will be in the bullpen – probably Murray goes down?
    • Jake Meyers travelled to Minnesota – there are way too many underperforming OFs right now – probably they send Whitcomb down – but arguments could be made for Smith, Cole and Dezenzo

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  14. So Lance has been scratched for tonight. Rather vague, ominous, interesting statement to say the least.

    It says the Astros will announce other roster moves and more information before tonight’s game.

    SURPRISE! Lance is on the IL. Right shoulder inflammation.

    AND..Jake Meyers is back and starting in CF tonight!

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  15. Nice outing by Alexander tonight. No offense except for Paredes’ dinger in 1st. Bull pen looked like they were going to blow it but Minnesota is not much better than us so they held on for the win. I have almost no confidence that this team can play 500 ball. It’ll take more than that to win the division but they have thus far shown me anything resembling a .500 plus team. I don’t think it makes any difference who they get back as it takes a team hitting on all cylinders and this V-8 has got to many misfiring spark plugs.

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    • I was watching ESPN Houston yesterday and one of the commentators mentioned that if they want to try and recapture Jason Alexander stop using him in relief. Just let him start. He is different. I kind of shrugged at it, I thought, probably not, probably more like the clock struck midnight and the carriage changed back into a pumpkin. Then last night happened. Maybe he was on to something.

      As for no offense, that’s baseball. Pitchers decide. Even the best hitters can’t do much when the pitchers are just not making mistakes. All the Minnesota pitchers were pretty good. Personally, I thought they outpitched Alexander, he had some hard hit balls that just went right at people. Heck if Shewmake catches that ball the final is 2-0. Pitching and defense decide a lot more than Judge or Yordan do. I hope the Astros continue to get help from Lambert and Alexander.

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  16. It sure feels like we’re giving up a lot of 3 run HR this year. They gave up 17 in 2025. In 2024 it was 22. So far in 2026 it’s 10 counting the one in today’s 51st game of the year. I think the club could find a bit more success if we stopped doing that.

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    • Interesting. I wonder how many of those 3 run homers were started by 1 or 2 walks? Today’s had 1 walk with Gray. I’m betting a study of them would find an inordinate amount of those baserunners were walked.

      I couldn’t watch today’s game but my guess on the sequence – hit by Caratini, walk to Gray, then Burrows feeling like he needs to make sure its a strike and grooves one to Kreidler. That’s the story the box score says in my head.

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