Category: Astros
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ZiPS projections for the 2024 Astros

In one of those self-assignments, your loyal writer spent a bit of time comparing what most of the main Astros did in 2023 vs. what the ZiPS projections on Fangraphs say they will do in 2024.
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Joe Espada: 5 focus areas

New Astros manager Joe Espada has a wide and varied background in baseball that leads to doing almost everything but managing teams. He was both a college and a minor league player, spending most of his time in the minors with Oakland, but also playing for St. Louis, Colorado, Florida, Kansas City, Texas and Tampa…
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A couple Astros’ thoughts: Billy Wags and LMJ

Billy Wagner Billy Wagner falling five votes short of the Hall of Fame was a bummer, but not as big of a bummer as when Craig Biggio fell two votes short in January 2014. Here is a doubleheader column by Brian Todd and me when that happened.
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Astros’ 2024: Five areas of interest during spring training

On Feb. 14, the Astros’ pitchers and catchers will report to West Palm Beach. One month from last Friday, February 19, the balance of the Astros will report. They will be bringing along with them a number of questions that may get resolved during Spring Training or during the season, or never.
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Astros 2024: The one that got away has come back

Well, this blog post has taken more zigs and zags than the Texans’ Devin Singletary sniffing out the end zone.
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Astros 2024: Is the bullpen going to be a problem?

The Astros bullpen has been the focal point of concern for fans and pundits heading into 2024. The rotation has concerns relative to performance, but there are plenty of folks who have done it before – Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, J.P. France, Jose Urquidy, and Hunter Brown with Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis…
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Astros 2024: The best of times – The worst of times

With all apologies to the Ghost of Charles Dickens – we are going to take a look at the upcoming 2024 season through rose–colored glasses….and then through Roy Orbison’s black sunglasses. We are going to look at the everyday lineup, the starting pitching, and the bullpen with a best-case scenario and a worst-case scenario view.
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Farewell to Uncle Mike

Looking back at this golden age of Astros baseball (2015 to now), the best position player free agent signing had to be Michael Brantley and one of the best overall. The Astros built so much of their team from within or by blockbuster trades with a few free agent signings sprinkled into the mix that…
