It’s over: Now what?

Chip texted me yesterday moments after the Astros went whimpering into the night – “Our long national nightmare is over!”

I texted back “I think our long national nightmare is just beginning.”

The overriding thought is that the Astros proved, in the end, that they really had no business making the playoffs. They made it not because of what they did, but because all the other teams in the AL below them did less.

Folks know that I like to involve the readers by asking questions, so here are ten questions to kick off the offseason.

1. Why did the Astros meltdown to a .500 team this year? What are the underlying issues?

2. What kind of General manager would you pursue if you were the Astros? Data heavy? Old fashion scout type? Hybrid?

3. This one may be resolved by the time this is posted – but should the Astros extend Manager Joe Espada? If not – what kind of manager should they go for next time? Stern leader? Player’s manager? Nerd Extraordinaire? Old Guy? First Timer?

4. Will Imai opt out of his contract? There is really no reason why he would opt out of making $36 million over the next two seasons. Unless….he is so miserable he will turn his back on the money and trudge back to his home country.

5. Would you trade Jeremy Pena this off-season? He will be a free agent after 2027. (Note – no one is likely to trade for him while there is a walkout/lockout.)

6.  After Christian Walker’s negative words about the fans booing – would you swallow most or all of his last year of contract – $20 million – to send him packing (if you were the GM – which we don’t have one)?

7. If you had a magic wand – what one thing would you want to change about the way the Astros do business?

8. Yordan Alvarez (likely MVP and signed though 2028 at almost $27 million a year) and Josh Hader (signed through 2028 at $19 million a year) are the Astros best players – would you consider trading one or both?

9. If the Astros made Jeff Bagwell the General Manager – what would you do? Scream at the moon? Cancel your mlb TV or SCHN cable? Smile and wait for the inevitable meltdown?

10. If you were parceling out blame for the Astros current situation – how would you split the percentages between – Jim Crane – Dana Brown – Joe Espada – the players – Jeff Bagwell?

Thanks for stopping in – can’t wait to see your answers and I will share mine later.

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One response to “It’s over: Now what?”

  1. Before I answer, let me ask “how did the Angels most 100 games this year?” I guess a few guys underperformed. Perhaps the difference between the Astros winning 81 and the Angels only winning 62 can be simplified down to Yordan Alvarez and Josh Hader.

    1. Did you see what most other teams brough out of their bullpens this year? It really felt like our group overachieved. And then they didn’t and we had a bad stretch in the second half.
    2. Hybrid. I’m focused on player development as a strategy for long term success rather than player acquisition. Every level is a filter. You have to find guys who will not only look good in the uniform but will be able to climb the levels.
    3. I’m probably going to complain about the hire regardless of who it is. If they win games I’ll change my tune.
    4. I think most players would have their pride irreparably damaged by the way the Astros used him this year. My expectation is his agent will have him opt out, make a statement about not being a good fit for the organization’s philosophies or something, and get him a deal elsewhere. Careers are finite lengths and returning to Houston just for the money makes little sense unless he thinks his results next year will be different.
    5. This depends on the return. You absolutely have to get back a player who can play SS or know of one you can acquire in a different deal or signing. If that can’t happen you roll the dice with an eye to trading him in July. The risk is he gets hurt or has a bad first half and tanks his value, but both of those likely indicate the Astros would be out of the race and getting anything back would be better than letting him walk for nothing.
    6. Probably not, but this feels like deja vu. What do we do with Correa, Paredes, and Walker?
    7. I’m tired of the one or no tool outfielders we’re bringing in as lottery tickets. I guess that extended to pitching this spring too.
    8. Yes, I’m considering it for two reasons. First, we’ve got no help walking through that door. 81 wins might be the peak of what they can bring. Second, Vlad Guererror, Jr., is right that he’s paid for what he did. The hope is these guys will continue to do it at a high enough level, but there will eventually be a fall-off. I don’t move them unless I can get a return that’s really exciting to the fanbase though.
    9. I’d be less annoyed than most people. The worst scenario is multiple minds making decisions that could be at odds. If Bagwell comes in and wants to field players based on the back of their baseball card it might not work, but at least it’s a strategy the scouts and analytics team can work with.
    10. This is a fun question, but without really know why certain players were targeted and signed it’s impossible to answer. Ultimately, I think the players needed to be better. I think Mauricio Dubon is a perfect example here. He’s not a great hitter. He doesn’t have great power. He got 619 PA in Atlanta and had a productive year playing way above what I thought he was capable of doing. I’m not suggesting Taylor Trammel should have done the same, but I’m also suggesting there were too many empty at bats where he just wasn’t competitive.

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