The Minnesota Twins signed left-hander Taylor Rogers to a one-year, $2 million contract to bring the veteran reliever back to his original team as part of a bullpen revamp Friday, while also finalizing a two-year, $14 million deal with catcher Victor Caratini.
Rogers and Caratini were at Target Field for their physical exams to make their signings official, after recently agreeing to terms. Rogers had a 3.15 ERA in 319 appearances over his first six major league seasons with the Twins, accumulating 361 strikeouts in 314 2/3 innings. He became a closer in 2019 and made the All-Star team in 2021.
“The Taylor Rogers we knew in ’18 and ’19 is going to be different than this guy, but he’s still a really good reliever and I think he’s going to have a big impact in our bullpen not only pitching-wise but with the ability to lead our group,” said new manager Derek Shelton, who was the bench coach for the Twins during part of Rogers’ first stint with the club.
Over the last four years, Rogers has pitched for five teams. He was traded to the San Diego Padres right before the 2022 season and then to the Milwaukee Brewers right before the deadline. Rogers signed with the San Francisco Giants in 2023 to join his twin brother, Tyler Rogers, and was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in 2025. The Reds traded him to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline last summer.
The 35-year-old Rogers has a career 3.34 ERA in 566 relief appearances, with 626 strikeouts in 541 1/3 innings and 83 saves. Rogers, who was drafted by the Twins as a starter in the 11th round in 2012 out of Kentucky, was converted to relief just before his major league debut in 2016.
The Twins traded their top five relievers during the week leading up to the deadline last season: Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart and Danny Coulombe. Rogers will mix in with bullpen holdovers Cole Sands, Justin Topa and Kody Funderburk.
“It’s the most obvious area of need coming into the offseason, something we feel like ‘Rog’ is a step in that direction, but help in that regard is going to come in all shapes and sizes,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said ahead of the team’s annual fan festival.
The 32-year-old Caratini, who will also be in the mix at first base and designated hitter while backing up catcher Ryan Jeffers, hit .259 in 2025 in his second season with the Houston Astros and set career bests with 12 homers, 46 RBIs and 386 plate appearances.
The 32-year-old switch-hitter has a .244 batting average over nine major league seasons. The Twins will be his fifth different team. Among active catchers with a minimum of 3,500 innings behind the plate, Caratini’s catcher ERA of 3.92 ranks eighth best in baseball.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Caratini and Rogers, the Twins designated right-handed reliever Pierson Ohl and catcher Jhonny Pereda for release or assignment.
Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez is one of the top players left in free agency, as of Wednesday, and he seems to have plenty of suitors.
The New York Mets make a lot of sense as a landing spot for the lefty. He would immediately slot in as the team’s best pitcher going forward. The Mets have the money to build up the pitching staff after the unit struggled last season. It would be the perfect addition in Queens.
“Valdez is one of the majors’ most durable, consistent pitchers; he and Giants ace Logan Webb are the only two hurlers to complete at least 175 innings while recording an ERA under 3.70 in each of the last four seasons,” Laws and Selbe wrote. “The worm-burning lefty also has three top-10 Cy Young finishes, a no-hitter and a World Series-clinching win under his belt from his time with the Astros.
“Valdez would step in as a top-tier No. 2 pitcher on just about any pitching staff, and the fact he doesn’t rely on elite velocity likely means he’d age well over the course of a five-year contract. The Angels, who recently agreed to a buyout with Anthony Rendon and reached a settlement in the Tyler Skaggs wrongful death lawsuit, have the payroll space for a big move to get them closer to contention.”
Adding Valdez makes perfect sense for the Angels. They’re seemingly desperate to add to their roster in the coming weeks, as they’re trying to contend again next season.
Adding Valdez to a struggling pitching staff would work wonders in pushing the Angels in the right direction. This move would give them a pitcher who can go toe to toe with any opposing ace in the league.
It’s hard to imagine the Angels outbidding the Mets in a sweepstakes like this, but don’t count them out yet.
The Houston Astros have a few big needs to address in free agency right now. They’re watching their ace, Framber Valdez, walk into free agency, and it seems like they’re unlikely to land a new deal with him.
Because of that, the Astros could be in the market for a pitcher or two in free agency. They might not have the money to chase the biggest names on the market, but they could certainly land a few respectable pitchers to help push toward a postseason berth next year.
“When it comes to a team fit, the Houston Astros could use a starting pitcher, but may not be able to shop at the very top of the market,” Finkelstein wrote. “Imanaga is no Framber Valdez, but he is also a better bet than Lance McCullers Jr., Jason Alexander, and Spencer Arrighetti, who are all projected to be in their 2026 rotation right now. Hunter Brown is clearly the ace. Imanaga would give the Astros a dependable middle-of-the-rotation arm who still has frontline upside if he can rediscover his 2024 form.”
It certainly wouldn’t be as sweet as retaining Valdez, but the Astros can’t sign all the biggest free agents on the market.
Imanaga would be the perfect addition to the Astros on an affordable deal. He’s not a world beater, but he’s the perfect fit for Houston’s needs.
The Houston Astros collapsed at the end of the season and missed the postseason entirely.
As a result, there are a lot of eyes on the Astros this offseason. They’re expected to make some moves to get their team back in contention, but their ace, Framber Valdez, is set to enter free agency. This could throw a wrench in the team’s plans.
“Framber Valdez was on track to be the highest-paid starting pitcher in the 2025-26 free-agent class before a bizarre incident where he appeared to intentionally cross up his catcher, César Salazar, with a fastball to the chest out of frustration,” Reuter wrote. “Given his strong track record of frontline production and significant postseason experience, more than a few teams will likely look at the bigger picture of what adding him to the rotation would mean for their 2026 outlook. However, there could also be a few clubs that avoid him entirely if they view that as a clubhouse red flag.”
The Astros should be seen as one of the top suitors for Valdez, but it’s always difficult to judge the market on pitchers.
Valdez is one of the top arms in free agency, and every team in baseball could use him. Houston is going to need to open its checkbook to re-sign Valdez, but it may be necessary if the Astros want to avoid a similar disappointment going forward.
When you miss the postseason for the first time in eight years, even if it was only by a couple games, decisions will need to be made. This is particularly true of an Astros organization that has celebrated one of the best runs of any team in baseball over the last decade including a pair of World Series wins.
It is what makes this winter both fascinating and a little concerning for anyone following this team. Jim Crane has said the championship window will always be open as long as he is the owner, but that is easier said that done, particularly when you are simultaneously trying to remain relevant and rebuild a farm system devastated by trades, injuries and penalties in the wake of the 2017 sign-stealing scandal.
GM Dana Brown will have a lot on his plate when the hot stove starts heating up. Here are four questions that will be top of mind for him and Astros fans.
How do you deal with the starting pitching?
At present, the Astros have exactly two healthy starting pitchers we can assume will occupy the team’s starting rotation in 2026: Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. Framber Valdez is a free agent and not expected to return. Barring surgery, Spencer Arrighetti should be back and Lance McCullers, Jr. could take one last shot at starting. After that, it’s a crapshoot.
Multiple players including Ronel Blanco, Luis Garcia, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter are expected to miss all of next season following surgery. That leaves rookie AJ Blubaugh, who was good in his handful of starts, but hardly a guarantee, and Jason Alexander, who could return but was only good this past year after being claimed off waivers.
After swinging and missing at a starter at the deadline, Brown will have no greater priority than finding at least one, possibly two, starting arms this offseason and pray for health in 2026, something that has eluded the organization for several years.
What moves do you make to clean up the infield logjam?
Bring Carlos Correa back via trade was not just good for the feels at Daikan, it was beneficial on the field as well. Likewise, Ramon Urias provided some much needed depth on the infield. But with Isaac Paredes back from injury, there are now more players than spots available. Paredes could be moved to second base, but few believe he can excel defensively there, something the Astros as an organization have prioritized in their infield acquisitions. But if not there, where?
Christian Walker came on at the end of the season, but was a general disappointment at the plate despite being excellent at first. Jose Altuve bounced between left field, second and designated hitter, but many people the left field experiment will end leaving him with few options in the field, especially when Yordan Alvarez is healthy.
Then there is the fact that with Urias, the Astros are essentially carrying two utility men with Mauricio Dubon, who regressed at the plate in 2025. Could some of these players be moved to clear room?
Oh, and we didn’t even mention the fact that rookie Brice Matthews, who plays second base, looks ready for a full season in the bigs. A lot to consider here.
Can better coaching improve hitting with these players?
After firing Alex Cintrón and Troy Snitker, the team will move to fill those vacancies with new hires focused on hitting, but will that be enough. For years, this has been an organization that preached plate discipline, but that seemed to escape them this year. With so many free swingers on the roster and not enough of them power hitters, the Astros offense was anemic at best.
You’d be hard pressed to find people in baseball who believe hitting coaches can change the fortunes of entire teams, but they need to get these hires right. Getting back to taking more pitches and saving swings for balls in the zone must be a priority.
Ultimately, however, it will take the right combination of players (and health) to get this team out of the offensive basement. Adding ANY power to the mix would also be hugely helpful.
What 40-man roster moves should be on the table?
When you consider the names on the roster and the lack of minor league depth, it seems like an offseason primed for some trades of players most fans know. Where players like Dubon, Walker and/or Paredes fit will be part of the calculus, particularly with the glaring need for pitching.
Then there is the outfield. Jesus Sanchez in right was below average in the field platooning with the surprising rookie Cam Smith, who excelled defensively despite never playing in the outfield. But, Sanchez also struggled at the plate. They team dealt for him, hoping for a boost from his left handed bat. With a full year under his belt, Smith probably deserves the full time role in right, but where does that leave Sanchez?
Likewise, rookie Zach Cole had a huge impact down the stretch and seemingly came out of nowhere, but would seem to be squeezed in the outfield when you consider the returns of Jacob Melton, one of the team’s best prospects, and Zach Dezenzo, who could play multiple spots on the field.
Finally, there are Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers. McCormick could be a candidate to be non tendered and Meyers might be at the peak of his trade value after a good season at the plate and continued success defensively in center.
A lot will be decided in a short period of time with potential seismic shifts up and down the roster.
It was announced this week that the Astros would bring back manager Joe Espada and GM Dana Brown in 2026 after missing the postseason for the first time in what seems like forever. Both are signed through next season and it makes sense that owner Jim Crane will see how things go next year before making any long term decisions on either of his top men.
That didn’t save others from the chopping block as three coaches, one trainer and an assistant general manager were all let go on Thursday.
Hitting coaches Alex Cintrón and Troy Snitker along with Michael Collins, who oversees the catchers, did not have their contracts renewed for next year. Fans who knew the names of Cintrón and Snitker and what they did could be found most of the year on social media calling for their heads with the Astros anemic offense struggling. Whether new hitting coaches can change the fortunes of the team is a different question entirely.
Along with the coaches, neither head athletic trainer Jeremiah Randall nor the assistant GM who oversaw sports medicine and performance, Andrew Ball, will return next season. With the huge number of injuries and re-injuries throughout the season, heads were certainly going to roll among training staff.
Hitting and injuries were the two most glaring issues for the Astros in 2025 and cleaning house this offseason meant hitting those two departments hard.
As much as fans may feel like this is a positive step — and, frankly, addressing everything this winter should be on the table — Randall presided over a well respected training staff that actually won the league’s “best” award back in 2017. Granted, that’s nearly a decade ago, but it’s unlikely they suddenly forgot how to heal people.
As for the hitting, everything from player development to in-game strategy needs to be reviewed. The Astros won a pair of championships due in no small part to their savvy play at the plate. They routinely had stellar strikeout-to-walk ratios along with particularly good clutch hitting numbers. That has gone downhill significantly over the last few seasons.
This probably won’t solve all the Astros problems. In fact, they will need a lot more than just getting rid of assistants to do that. But, it does feel like a step in the right direction, especially fresh off a premature ending to the season.
If you went back to the start of the 2025 baseball season with the knowledge that the Astros would have 26 players on the IL including a league most 18 at one time, lose +17 WAR in player injuries, see multiple starting pitchers go down with serious elbow problems, and lose your closer for the last month of the season, you probably would have imagined a team close to the bottom of the AL and a completely uncompetitive season.
You’d be wrong.
Despite all of those problems and an unbelievably anemic offense, the Astros entered game 161 with a chance to still make the postseason. Two weeks prior to that, they were leading the AL West. When you reconstruct the memory of the season in your head, that should offer at least a bit of comfort and, perhaps more importantly, perspective.
We may all feel defeated after so much heartbreak, but the reality is this team played well beyond what it had on the field. Will there need to be changes? Absolutely. As former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy was fond of saying, you don’t ignore in victory what you would not ignore in defeat. This team has its share of issues that must be addressed, but in the end, this season could have been much, much worse. Now, let’s figure out what to do next.
Does Framber Valdez return?
The highest profile free agent for the Astros this offseason is the lefty starter who may or may not have intentionally thrown at his catcher this year. Valdez has tons of talent and induces ground balls at an insane rate, but for two straight seasons, he has fallen off in the second half of the season. He has also become known for his occasional inability to rein in his emotions on the mound.
But, he is a unique talent that will have plenty of suitors if the Astros choose not to lean hard into their pursuit of Valdez. If this last season has taught us anything it is that you can absolutely never have too many pitchers, but at what cost? Valdez is going to want to be paid in what should be the last big deal of his career, but he’s about to turn 32 and it would make sense for the Astros to transition to younger talent at this point even if it hurts them in the short term. Don’t expect them to go all out for Valdez.
How do you address the injury problems?
How is really the right interrogative because, at this point, we aren’t sure who is to blame. The rash of injuries, particularly serious ones to pitching, was hard to fathom and could point to the player development staff. Then there’s the fact that multiple players clearly came back before they were ready putting return to play protocols and team medical staff in the crosshairs.
But, there are so many deep, complex issues when it comes to pitching injuries in baseball from max effort throws and spin rate to young players pushing too hard too soon — kids are getting Tommy John surgery in high school now. All of Major League Baseball is facing the epidemic of pitching injuries and there are no good answers yet. At the bare minimum, the Astros need to evaluate their entire medical process and determine how they can limit re-injuries and make sure they are not pushing guys either in development or in returning from injury.
What can they do about the scoring woes?
The Astros were in the bottom third of baseball in runs scored, but they were in the top 10 in hits. That points to two truths about this roster. First, they don’t hit home runs. They were 16th in homers this year even in a ballpark like Daikan with it’s short porch in left field. Second, they were awful with runners in scoring position. The Astros were 26th in on-base percentage with runners in scoring position, 22nd in slugging, and 11th in strikeouts.
This is way too much of a free swinging team for a group that doesn’t hit the long ball with any kind of frequency. If you are hitting close to 300 home runs as a team for the season, you can go up there and be aggressive. But, if you don’t even get to 200, you better show more plate discipline. This was a focus of the team last offseason and yet they got worse. Don’t be surprised if hitting coaches take the brunt of the blame, but this will be on the players to correct and improve.
What does the infield look like next year?
Maybe even more than the pitching staff, the way the Astros deal with the infield in the offseason will be fascinating to watch. Jeremy Peña is locked at shortstop and it is clear with Carlos Correa’s return, he isn’t moving off of third base. You would think Christian Walker, who still has two seasons left on his deal with the team, would be guaranteed a spot at first, but his hitting was sub par even if he remained very good defensively, and Isaac Paredes, who was the much better hitter last year, finds himself without a position.
Moving Paredes to first would make a lot of sense, but what would happen to Walker? He can’t just DH because of Yordan Alvarez. There was talk about Paredes playing second, but with defense a high priority, that might not be the best option. Never mind the fact that Brice Matthews is absolutely banging on the door of the major league. And we haven’t even mentioned Jose Altuve yet. Oof.
Of all the things GM Dana Brown needs to figure out this winter, the infield might be the most complicated.
If you feel a palpable void in your social schedule, or perhaps your very soul, it’s probably because October is here, and for the previous eight Octobers (hell, even an October in the middle of a pandemic), we have had playoff baseball in the city of Houston. This year, thanks to enough injuries to fill a small hospital and an offense that appeared to be using toothpicks to hit, the Astros are off for the month of October.
The baseball gods have screamed, in classic Seinfeld Soup Nazi style, “Houston! NO PLAYOFF BASEBALL FOR YOU!” Sure, the injuries can be partially to blame, but at times down the stretch, when the schedule looked pretty easy, and the lineup was near full strength, the Astros wilted, sometimes in cataclysmic fashion. Losing six games to the A’s by a combined score of 43-8 is just one glaring example.
So now comes the unpredictable part, because we’ve never seen owner Jim Crane operate under these conditions — determine how to move forward with a team he most assuredly sees as a World Series contender, but having missed the playoffs entirely. To be clear, the Astros have missed the playoffs on Crane’s watch, most recently in 2016 before this past weekend. They’ve never missed the playoffs with a top tier payroll, and high expectations.
Nobody is safe. If I had to bet, I’d bet my life savings, at a minimum, hitting coaches Alex Cintrón and Troy Snitker will be fired. Joe Espada, who was being. Touted as a Manager of the Year candidate a month ago, is on thin ice. It’s one thing to miss the playoffs, but it’s another to collapse entirely. GM Dana Brown shouldn’t get too comfy either. Jim Crane let the previous GM, James Click, go four days after wining a World Series in 2022.
Espada and Brown meet with the media late Tuesday morning, assuming both are still in their roles, so the answers in this press conference could be fascinating, especially considering that Dana Brown didn’t really answer whether Espada would be back, when asked over the weekend:
“As far as I’m concerned, Joe is under contract,” Brown said from his suite at Angel Stadium. “We’re going to take a complete look at all of our operations. As far as I’m concerned, Joe worked hard through this season. We had to battle through a ton of injuries, and I really think the injuries (are) what caused us not to get to the postseason.”
On the one hand, bringing back Espada because of how he managed a practically unmanageable injury situation would be logical. On the other hand, it’s hard not to believe that Crane sees some other managerial prospects out there with a bit more juice, guys who can win a few more games on the margin with some good chess moves.
For now, we close the books on the strangest season of Astros baseball I can remember. Somehow, they managed to go over their Vegas preseason win total of 86.5. Perhaps the easiest way to encapsulate how odd this season was would be to try to put together a classic MVP style ballot, 10 names, from 1st to 10th place, for the MVP of the Astros.
In fact, let’s workshop this:
1. HUNTER BROWN, starting pitcher Brown is the no brainer MVP of the 2025 Houston Astros. With a 12-9 record, a 2.43 ERA, and a team leading 6.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Brown will likely finish in the top 3 for the AL Cy Young. With any run support in the second half of the season, he likely wins 16 to 18 games. He’s the one Astro who answered the bell at a high level all season long.
Okay on to second place…..
Here is where the ointment is besieged by flies. There isn’t a single player that you can find that falls into Brown’s category of “season long stalwart.” The rest of the roster is made up of high level players who missed vast chunks of the season with injury (Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Josh Hader), guys who were healthy all season but disappointed (Yainer Diaz, Christian Walker, Framber Valdez), and Jose Altuve, whose season is more complicated than we want to believe.
So, for what it’s worth, here is what the rest of the ballot would like, and as you read this, just know that it may not be as simple as “fire Espada” or “we just need to get healthy!”
2. JEREMY PENA, shortstop 3. JOSH HADER, closer 4. ISAAC PAREDES, third baseman These are the other three Astro All Stars in 2025. All three of them missed significant time with injuries, but I’d rather have 120 games (or in the case of Hader, 40 or so) of these guys than 162 of some of the others on the team.
5. FRAMBER VALDEZ, starting pitcher Framber was a nightmare in the final two months of the season, but when the Astros were at their most injured in the first four months, Valdez’s 13 straight starts in which the Astros won vaulted this team to the top of the division. He will be missed in 2026.
6. JOSE ALTUVE, second base/left field/DH His 0.5 bWAR was lower than Zach Cole’s 0.6, but he’s the best player in the history of the franchise. I can’t have him languishing with the scrubs. I’ll plunk him at sixth.
7. BRYAN ABREU, relief pitcher 8. JAKE MEYERS, center fielder 9. YAINER DIAZ, catcher 10. JASON ALEXANDER, starting pitcher Man, it was hard to round out this ballot. Abreu was your second most impactful relief pitcher behind Hader. MEYERS was a borderline All Star before suffering a calf injury. Diaz was second in bWAR among everyday players. Finally, Alexander was your second best starter behind Brown for the final two months of the season.
Countdown is on to March 26, 2026, Opening Day, and hopefully the beginning of a redemption season for our hometown team.
“They (the fans) are used to watching playoff baseball and they look forward to that every single year,” Correa told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. “We were not able to accomplish that this year, but we promise our fans in Houston this offseason is going to be one of a lot of hard work. We’re all going to get better. Next year will be one to remember.”
The Astros dealt with a lot of injuries this season. Slugger Yordan Alvarez and closer Josh Hader ended the season on the injured list, and according to Rome, 28 players in the Houston organization spent time on the injured list this season.
Correa isn’t using that as an excuse.
“It’s part of baseball,” Correa told Rome. “That’s where the depth of an organization comes into play.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an example of what Correa means when he references the organization’s depth. They had numerous pitching injuries this season and still found a way to win the National League West. Of course, the Dodgers can also have a much larger payroll than the Astros which certainly helps their cause.
With the Astros missing the playoffs, all eyes shift to general manager Dana Brown as to how he responds. Houston has several key pieces that Brown can build on next season, but it’s a question of how he addresses the gaps. The outfield remains a huge hole that needs to be filled properly in the offseason. If he addresses it or how he addresses it remains to be seen and will determine how successful the Astros are next season to keep their contention window open.
If at the beginning of the season we told you the Astros would be fighting for a Wild Card spot in the last week of the season despite having as many as 18 players on the IL at once and losing most of their pitching staff (and their closer) to injury, you’d probably think this was a miracle season. You would demand Joe Espada be named AL Manager of the Year and probably be boasting about what an incredible season it has been, make or miss the postseason.
That thirty-thousand-foot-view is fine for people who don’t follow the team every day, but for hardcore fans, this season has been a disappointment. Watching the offense struggle game after game is brutal. But, far more difficult has been seeing pitchers constantly coming through the revolving door bullpen with injuries.
Here is a list of every starting pitcher for the Astros still on the active roster who remains in the starting rotation (J.P. France and Colton Gordon are now pitching only in relief).
Hunter Brown One of the best pitchers in the AL and the Astros ace with over 180 innings pitched.
Framber Valdez Still a solid starter, but numbers have fallen off over the second half of the season.
Cristian Javier Looks good back from surgery last year. Has thrown over 37 innings since returning.
Jason Alexander Claimed off waivers in May, Alexander (with one recent exception) has been outstanding.
AJ Blubaugh Rookie pitcher has been in and out of the starting rotation, but shows promise for 2026.
Lance McCullers, Jr. has one year left on his contract and can’t seem to stay healthy.
Photo by Jack Gorman
Now, here are the starting pitchers who are not on the active roster.
Luis Garcia Threw in just two games after two years missed due to surgery will now miss all of 2026 with elbow surgery.
Spencer Arrighetti Missed a chunk of the season with a broken thumb on a fluke accident, now out for the season, possibly longer, with elbow inflammation.
Ronel Blanco Missed most of the season (after nine starts) and will likely miss most of 2026 due to Tommy John surgery.
Hayden Wesneski After just six starts, needed Tommy John surgery and will miss most if not all of 2026.
Lance McCullers, Jr. Plagued with injuries over the last several seasons, McCullers only pitched a handful of games before being shelved for the year with other injury issues. The last year of his huge contract is 2026.
Brandon Walter The promising young lefty became the fourth pitcher for the Astros this year to undergo Tommy John surgery. He could miss all of 2026.
None of this factors in the relievers — Josh Hader chief among them — who have battled their own injury problems this season or position players like Isaac Paredes and Yordan Alvarez.
The fact is, this has been an absolutely devastating year from an injury standpoint and it really should be a shock to fans that the Astros are even remotely in the hunt for a playoff spot given the incredible misfortune this season.
One thing is certain, however. This team (and baseball probably in general) needs to evaluate how it deals with pitching injuries because whatever is going on right now is ridiculous.
This Astros team has always felt like it had a tenuous grasp on its playoff aspirations. Loaded with pitching depth and re-loaded on offense, entering 2025 felt like both a new start and a transition at the same time. Now, with just six games left in the season, the transition seems closer than ever.
On Sunday night, the first place Seattle Mariners completed a sweep of the Astros at Daikin Park to all but clinch the AL West and put the Astros (currently) out of the postseason. After a three-game sweep of the Rangers, the teams entered this series tied. So much for that.
As of writing this, the Astros are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs, and these three losses weren’t even close, making the fade at the end of this crazy year seem even more apparent. We might normally do FOUR winners and losers, but we felt three, given the sweep, seemed appropriate.
WINNERS
Cal Raleigh
Not only does the “Big Dumper” have one of the best nicknames in sports history, he’s now tied with Ken Griffey, Jr. for the most homers in a season by a Mariner. Big D hit a pair of dingers in the series against Astros pitching. He has been remarkable all year and that didn’t end at Daikin.
Zach Cole
A few weeks ago, you would have been hard pressed to find an Astros fan who had a clue who this young outfielder is. But, since his joining the team, he has been an absolute offensive spark plug. Granted, a spark is about all this Astros team can produce offensively, but, hey, it’s something.
Mariners Fans Revenge
It feels like there is no fan base that hates the Astros more than Seattle. The Dodgers might come close, but the number of times the Astros have broken the M’s has got to be absolutely debilitating to that fan base. This year, not so much. They are flinging fish around that market in Seattle with a particular glee this weekend.
LOSERS
Astros Starting Pitching
In 12 innings pitched, the Astros starters Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Jason Alexander gave up 14 runs. Relievers gave up three. In fairness, 12 of those 14 runs game off Valdez and Alexander, not Brown, who still can’t seem to get any run support from this teammates. Valdez has continued to sputter his way to free agency and Alexander had his first awful start as an Astro. Too bad it was in this series.
Houston Run Scoring
Being outscored by 10 in a three-game series is bad, but when you consider that four of the Astros seven runs scored came on a grand slam by Jeremy Peña in game two, yikes. The home team put runs on the board in exactly four of the 27 innings they played in this series. It has been a rough year for the offense, but this was an absolute faceplant in the most important series of the year.
Fans with an Early Monday Morning
Instead of a day game, ESPN bumped the series finale to Sunday Night Baseball. For the fans in attendance, they were treated to a 7-run second by the Mariners and it was basically downhill from there. With Monday just hours away from the end of the game, the fact that fans had to wait it out until 9:30 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m. is just brutal.
Drew VonScio is a Newsweek contributor based in Pittsburgh, PA. His focus is on MLB content. Drew has been with Newsweek since December 2024 and also works full-time at WTOV, a TV station in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a 2023 graduate of Bethany College (WV) and a 2024 graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. You can get in touch with Drew by emailing d.vonScio@newsweek.com.
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The Houston Astros have been synonymous with talent over the course of their history.
While the organization had some stretches of bad teams such as the early 2010’s, the good drastically outweighs the bad for the Astros.
The team has had some iconic players in the course of its history, and Mike Greenberg and Paul Hembekides broke down the Mt. Rushmore of the Astros organization in their latest book ‘Got Your Legends.’
CHICAGO – UNDATED: Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros fields during an MLB game versus the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Bagwell played for the Astros from 1991-2005. CHICAGO – UNDATED: Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros fields during an MLB game versus the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Bagwell played for the Astros from 1991-2005. Ron Vesely / MLB Photos/Getty Images
Larry Dierker
Craig Biggio
Jeff Bagwell
Jose Altuve
Jose Altuve is the only player on the Mt. Rushmore from the team’s recent history as he is still with the organization.
Baseball fans reading this are likely questioning the absence of Nolan Ryan, one of the greatest pitchers of all time. However, Ryan’s career was different than most people remember.
“He pitched more in Houston than anywhere else, but his best years did not come there,” said Hembekides. “His best years came for the Angels in which he had some of the most ridiculous strikeout seasons of all time. 329, 383 and 367 in three consecutive seasons. … But truly, his Astros career was not so extraordinary that I felt he belonged in there over any of the four guys that we had to begin with.”
For more on the Astros all-time greats along with the other 123 teams in the top four sports leagues in the United States, be sure to get your copy of “Got Your Legends“. The book officially releases on Tuesday.
Every year it seems remarkable that despite every team playing 162 game, inevitably, there are at least one or two division races that come down to the final week of the season. That is the case for the Astros and Mariners who play their last regular season series at Daikin Park this weekend.
After a sweep of the Rangers, the Astros all but sealed the fate of their Texas rivals, no only winning the Silver Boot, but likely pushing ArlingtonDallas Texas out of the division race and possibly the postseason.
This week lined up to be the most pivotal of the season and the Astros did what they needed to against the Rangers. Now, Seattle comes to town having just lost their first game after nine in a row, tied with the home team they are about to play in their home building, while sporting the best home run hitter in baseball — possibly the AL MVP. It’s going to be a barn burner.
Here are some things to watch.
Pitching vs. Pitching
The Astros, despite the unrelenting injury issues, are still one of the best pitching squads in baseball. They lead the majors in strikeouts and are top five in WHIP and top 10 in team ERA. Seattle is among the better team pitching staffs in the American League. With the day off on Thursday, the Astros lineup their three best pitchers for the series: Hunter Brown (an AL Cy Young contender), Framber Valdez, and Jason Alexander. The Astros will most certainly see Bryan Woo and could see Logan Gilbert on Sunday, but will miss Luis Castillo who pitched Thursday in Kansas City.
Astros Run Production
The Mariners are 10th in baseball in runs while the Astros are 21st. In the last 10 games, the Astros have improved, but Seattle has been the best in the entire league. Finding ways to get runners across the plate has been a struggle for Houston all season. It won’t get any easier against the Mariners pitching. With games likely to be close and decided by small mistakes, the key will be how well the Astros hit with runners in scoring position, something they have steadily improved on throughout the year.
Rookie Zach Cole burst onto the scene this week in Yordan Alvarez’s absence.
Jack Gorman
The Long Ball Difference
Seattle is third in baseball in home runs. When you have two players with 30-plus homers (one with 56), it is no shock that you are near the top in that stat. The Astros have two with more than 20 and a couple more who will probably get to 20 by the end of the season, but they aren’t in the class of the Mariners who have seven double-digit home run hitters. Both teams are susceptible to giving up the long ball, however, and in the confines of Daikin Park, that can mean a lot.
Will Isaac Paredes return?
When Yordan Alvarez sprained his ankle (even though the team got some decent news on that front Wednesday), rookie Zach Cole vaulted his way into Astros rookie lore with some dynamic swings at the plate. But another boost might come from Paredes who it was assumed would miss the rest of the season with a bad hamstring injury. Instead, he is likely to be back in the lineup at DH for a team that sorely needs his run production and, maybe more importantly, his ability to draw long plate appearances against opposing pitching.
The now second place Astros face the most pivotal week of the entire 2025 season this week with series against the Rangers and Mariners, both in Houston. Despite taking two of three in Atlanta, the Astros were overtaken by the Mariners, led by catcher Cal Raleigh, for first place in the AL West. The Rangers are just one game back.
This week could be the difference between the Astros winning the division or missing the playoffs entirely. Despite a162-game schedule, we are down to the final two weeks of the season to decide who will make the playoffs.
The offense must produce.
The Astros remain one of the worst offensive teams in the hunt for the playoffs. They are 23rd in runs scored, 17th in home runs, 22nd in OPS, and 19th in runners left in scoring position per game. It’s not good. Neither Seattle nor Texas are offensive juggernauts, but when the Astros score four or more runs, they are nearly unbeatable. Unfortunately, they don’t do that very often. If they want to win these two series and put themselves in the driver’s seat for the playoffs, they have to score.
Will starting pitching hold it down?
Framber Valdez had another rough outing on Sunday and the Astros remain a team absolutely worked over by injuries to their rotation. Yet, they have found a way through Cy Young hopeful Hunter Brown and A’s castoff Jason Alexander among others to keep their starting pitching not just surviving but succeeding against all odds. All three of these teams have gotten effective pitching from their starters but because of the injuries, it is more important to the Astros than anyone. It would help if Valdez managed to pull it together.
Is Isaac Paredes going to return?
When the Astros third baseman went down with a hamstring injury, it was assumed he would not be available until 2026. Miraculously, he might return this week. His patience at the plate and solid hitting skills should help bolster a struggling lineup. Where he fits in defensively is another question. Carlos Correa is clearly the better defender at third and, even with his offensive struggles, Christian Walker won’t be dislodged at first. Most likely, Paredes will play some designated hitter and ease his way back into the lineup. Let’s hope it helps.
Pushing through the injuries.
It’s been one of the most difficult years for the Astros when it comes to the training room. From Yordan Alvarez and Paredes to Spencer Arrighetti and Ronel Blanco, this has been a nightmare year for the Astros training staff. There will legitimately need to be a discussion about what happened, particularly with all the arm injuries to pitchers in the offseason. For now, the Astros hope to limp their way to the finish line.
You might have sat home on a very Houston sports Sunday and thought, “Why, Houston sports? Why?” With the Texans meekly exiting a loss in Los Angeles and the Astros turning in a real gem of a stink bomb in Dallas, the vibes were positively awesome around here. For the Astros, however, things are starting to get very real, very fast. With fewer than 20 games left, this is a team that better figure it out and quick or it’s going to be a long, cold winter in Texas.
Last Week Record: 3-4 This Week Opponents: at Blue Jays (82-61), at Braves (64-79) Current Record: 78-66 (1st in AL West – 2.5 games)
Losing our way to the top.
The Astros are 4-6 in their last 10 games, 24-22 since the All-Star break. Way back then (all seven weeks ago), they were leading the division by as many as 7 games and it felt like they were cruising to another AL West title. But, the Mariners got hot, then the Rangers got hot, then everyone starting middling around and we have a dogfight. The Astros still control their own destiny as they like to say, but that only matters if you can actually win series. Lately, not so much.
Yordan Alvarez is so back.
The good news is Alvarez is not just back, he’s BACK. Since his return, he is absolutely dismantling pitching and taking walks like he’s steroid-era Barry Bonds. It was exactly the kind of return fans had hoped for. Thus far, it hasn’t changed the Astros fortunes very much as the rest of the lineup has been anemic at best, even with this weekend’s return of Jake Meyers as well. Fortunately, the lineup the Astros hoped to have at the beginning of the year is virtually intact — perhaps even a bit better. Now, they just have to produce.
The schedule doesn’t favor the Astros.
Around the All-Star break, the Astros had one of the easiest remaining schedules in baseball. Now, with just about three weeks, it’s the second toughest of the three AL West contenders after Texas. With series against the Blue Jays, Mariners and Rangers, it’s no easy sledding. Their last six games are against the A’s and Angels, but all of those are on the road. Yikes.
This week is big. Next week is bigger.
The biggest week of the season is next week when they host the Rangers followed by the Mariners. That six-game stretch will very likely decide the division. All possibilities are on the table from the Astros extending their lead to falling into third place and out of the postseason. If you love September baseball, next week is going to be huge for the AL West.
So many Astros fans have been holding their breath, waiting for the return of a number of key members of both the rotation and the lineup. Over the last couple weeks, they have gotten their wish with Yordan Alvarez, Spencer Arrighetti, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers, Jr. and Luis Garcia all coming back from injuries. Even Taylor Trammel is back on the big league squad and Jake Meyers isn’t far away.
Yet, the home stand has been, well, meh. In seven games against the Rockies and Angles, the Astros are 4-3, not ideal when you consider the combined records of their opponents. They head into a series against the Yankees and Daikin Park in much better health and with a three-game lead in the division, but still not necessarily playing great baseball. Let’s discuss.
After returning from injury, Javier has been solid if not spectacular. That changed Friday night when “El Reptil” went six no-hit innings in a 2-0 win over the Angels. He looked as dominant as ever, something that bodes well for the Astros as they get closer to the postseason. Meanwhile, Garcia in his first game back, was outstanding. He went six innings giving up three runs on just three hits and striking out six. All of the runs were scored in four at bats, two off home runs including a Crawford Boxes special that barely cleared the left field fence. It was the absolute best the Astros could have hoped for in the returns of both pitchers to the starting rotation.
Lance McCullers in the bullpen didn’t go well.
After a “short term” move to the bullpen, McCullers took the mound out of the pen for the first time on Sunday since 2018. The results were mixed. He had a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, but struggled in the eighth giving up two runs on three hits and two walks in a game the Angels ultimately won 2-0. For the former starter, the path to the postseason remains pretty clear: McCullers needs to be able to be a reliable long relief pitcher if he wants to get time on the mound. For the Astros, they have to continue to evaluate the right hander to see if he fits into their plans both short and long term. It’s complicated.
The Astros lefty slugger has walked eight times since returned from injury last week. Teams are already pitching around him. Unfortunately, the players around him have rarely capitalized on his getting on base. Prior to Monday’s game, the Astros were something like one for one-thousand when they had runners in scoring position over the last week. Maybe that’s a stretch. It was probably more like 2-999. Anyway, Alvarez has looked very good at the plate and other pitchers clearly see that. That can only be a good thing for the team…if they can figure out how to get a hit after his plate appearances.
Ramon Urias has been the win of the trade deadline.
Who would’ve thought this would be the win of the deadline. Sure, Carlos Correa has been outstanding both on the field and in a renewed leadership role. But, Urias has been a revelation. He has multiple home runs and absolute brilliant defense at second base where he had won a Gold Glove. The Astros have had to do whatever they can to keep him in the lineup because he has just been too valuable to sit.
On Tuesday night, all the stars were aligned. The still first place Astros were at home against the worst team in baseball, the Colorado Rockies, the first night of a ten-game home stand that heavily favored the Astros. Their ace, Hunter Brown, was on the bump facing a brutally bad Rockies lineup, but most importantly, it was the return of Yordan Alvarez, who had spent nearly the entire season on the IL with a broken hand.
No, it wasn’t Friday, so no postgame fireworks at Daikan, but fans were hoping for big things with the team almost fully intact again after a season of injury after injury.
The baseball gods had other plans.
While Brown was fine, going 6.2 innings giving up just two earned runs, and Alvarez got on base twice via walks, the Astros floundered with a pair of errors and too many men left on base, dropping a 6-1 decision to Colorado. Much like last about 10 days ago when they nearly had a perfect game thrown against them by someone who had a 7-plus ERA, Rockies pitcher Tanner Gordon (who?), he of his mighty 6-plus ERA gave up just one run (a Jesus Sanchez blast) in five innings of work against the home team.
It was yet another anemic output by an Astros squad that has scored fewer than four runs in more than half of their games in 2025. When you add in a pair of really devastating errors that cost them four runs and an 0-for-all-night with runners in scoring position, it was not a the red carpet rollout for the return of Alvarez anyone was expecting.
Was there good news? Definitely. Alvarez did look solid in his return flying out to the warning track once, walking twice and looking serviceable in left field. The Mariners lost to San Diego at home keeping the Astros one-and-a-half games ahead in the AL West. And, the team still has two more against the Rockies followed by four with the Angels, all at home.
But Tuesday was another chapter in what has become an all-too-familiar story this season: a bad loss to a really bad team.
The Astros are slowly but surely beginning to get players back from an injured list that was once 18 players deep. In their 124 games, they have had 117 different starting lineups. They have started 13 different pitchers and have had 28 different pitchers come out of the bullpen, not counting position players.
Still, the struggles, mostly at the plate, continue. They are only 5-5 in their last 10 games. Good news: the Mariners aren’t faring much better. Let’s take a look at the week such as it was.
No one is running away with the West.
While the Astros have seemed to flail away recently, so have the one team vying for the AL West title with them. Seattle went on a 9-1 run to close the gap and even briefly tied the Astros atop the division. As of writing, they were 1.5 games back of the Astros, though that could change in nearly an instant. Both the Tigers and Blue Jays have pulled far enough ahead that it is unlikely whoever wins the West will challenge for a one or two seed in the playoffs and, at the moment, there are at least five teams in serious contention for the Wild Card spots.
It is conceivable that either the Astros or Mariners miss the postseason altogether if they cannot win the division. There is a lot on the line and neither team is doing much to inspire confidence.
Yordan Alvarez begins a rehab stint this week.
If there was ever a time for good thoughts, prayers, spells cast, whatever you have to do to speed the Astros star slugger to a full recovery, get on that. On Tuesday, he will play in Corpus Christi, his first game action since the first week of May due to a broken hand. All indications are that he is nearing full strength and the Astros desperately need him. No word on how many rehab outings he will need. Just cross your fingers he stays healthy and gets back to the big league team as soon as possible.
Josh Hader is out for the regular season, probably the postseason as well.
Hader has a capsule strain in his throwing shoulder, an injury that might be able to be rehabbed, but with the season quickly wrapping up, it would probably take some kind of miracle to get him back for the playoffs. He won’t even start throwing again for a few weeks and then will test things to see how it goes. Hader has been one of the best closers in baseball this season. His absence has strained an already thin bullpen that cannot afford even one more injury in a year loaded with them.
Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers, Jr., Jake Meyers all could be back soon.
The light at the end of the tunnel might not be a train after all. The reports on Garcia, McCullers and Meyers have all been positive. McCullers is with the team in Detroit though no decision has been made on when he will play or how the team will handle his return. Garcia is about to pitch his eighth rehab start. He has been very solid in his appearances thus far and should rejoin the Astros in the next few weeks. Meyers is close to getting his own rehab stint after good reports out of Florida where he is working on his calf injury.
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The 2025 MLB season is barreling toward its most electric stretch, the playoffs.
This is the time when rosters tighten, rotations shorten, and every pitch carries the weight of an entire city’s hopes. The margins are razor-thin, and only the most complete teams survive the October gauntlet.
While every playoff-bound club dreams of hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy, a few stand out as legitimate front-runners. They combine deep pitching staffs, explosive offenses, and postseason-tested leadership.
Alongside them is a dark horse capable of derailing even the most carefully laid championship plans.
Atlanta Braves: The Relentless Machine
The Braves enter the postseason as one of baseball’s most consistent forces. Year after year, they produce one of the league’s best run differentials and dominate at the plate. In 2025, that balance between firepower and pitching depth puts them squarely among the favorites.
Why They’re a Contender
Atlanta’s offense remains an engine of destruction. Their lineup blends power, patience, and speed, making it a nightmare for opposing pitchers. The rotation is equally formidable.
Key Players
Ronald Acuña Jr.: Acuña Jr continues to redefine the leadoff role. His blend of 30+ home run power and elite baserunning forces pitchers to labor from the very first at-bat. He also sets the tone defensively, covering massive ground in right field.
Spencer Strider: Strider’s strikeout arsenal remains unmatched. With an upper-90s fastball and wipeout slider, he can dominate even the deepest playoff lineups.
It’s no surprise that discussions around the odds to win the World Series often feature Atlanta near the top; they’re a team built for both the 162-game grind and the win-or-go-home chaos of October.
Los Angeles Dodgers: The Star-Powered Juggernaut
No team in recent memory blends star power and depth quite like the Dodgers. They’ve built an organization where losing a key starter doesn’t derail the season; it just means the next All-Star-caliber player steps up.
Why They’re a Contender
The Dodgers’ offensive depth is awe-inspiring. They can stack their lineup with hitters who each pose a legitimate long-ball threat, while their bench remains one of the league’s best. On the pitching side, their rotation boasts frontline dominance and a flexible bullpen.
Key Players
Mookie Betts: Betts remains one of the game’s most complete players, excelling in every facet, power, average, speed, defense, and leadership. His October track record is proof of his big-game pedigree.
Shohei Ohtani: While his two-way role is managed carefully, Ohtani’s ability to change a game with either his bat or arm makes him the ultimate postseason weapon. His presence alone alters opposing teams’ game plans.
If the Dodgers stay healthy, they’re as dangerous as any team in baseball, perhaps more so because of their adaptability across a long playoff run.
Houston Astros: The October Specialists
PHOTO: Lesly Juarez/Unsplash
Year after year, the Astros prove that playoff baseball is in their DNA. Their core has been through deep runs, and their ability to execute in big moments remains unmatched.
Why They’re a Contender
Houston thrives under pressure. They’ve developed a reputation for clutch hitting and efficient pitching in October. Even as pieces of their championship core have changed, their winning culture endures.
Key Players
Yordan Álvarez: Few hitters in the game can match Álvarez’s combination of raw power and disciplined approach. His ability to deliver in high-leverage situations makes him one of the most feared bats in the postseason.
Framber Valdez: Valdez brings calm and control to the mound. His heavy sinker induces ground balls at a rate that frustrates power-heavy lineups, a valuable skill in tight postseason games.
The Astros’ blend of veteran leadership and postseason experience ensures they’re never intimidated by the October stage.
Dark Horse: Seattle Mariners
Seattle may not carry the same “favorite” label as Atlanta, Los Angeles, or Houston, but ignoring them would be a mistake. Their roster is young, athletic, and built around pitching depth, an ingredient that often sparks surprise playoff runs.
Why They Could Shock Everyone
The Mariners’ rotation is among the most underrated in baseball, capable of matching up with the game’s elite. Their offense, while streaky, has enough firepower to flip a game with a single swing. In a short series, that volatility can work in their favor.
Key Players
Julio Rodríguez: The face of the franchise and one of MLB’s brightest stars, Rodríguez brings dynamic offense and highlight-reel defense. His energy fuels the entire roster.
Logan Gilbert: Gilbert’s rise as a dependable frontline starter has given Seattle a true ace to match up in must-win games. His combination of velocity and command is tailor-made for success in October.
If Seattle catches fire early, they have the tools to become the postseason’s most dangerous underdog.
What Contenders Have in Common
While each of these teams has its own style, they share key characteristics that define championship-caliber baseball:
StarPower: Each club boasts multiple game-changers capable of deciding a series on their own.
PitchingDepth: From aces to lockdown relievers, they can control the strike zone in any situation.
Adaptability: They can win slugfests, grind out 2–1 nail-biters, and adjust to the unique demands of each opponent.
It’s these qualities, not just regular-season dominance, that tend to separate World Series winners from the rest.
Final Outlook on the 2025 Playoff Picture
As October approaches, the Braves, Dodgers, and Astros have positioned themselves as the most likely to navigate the postseason minefield. Their combination of talent, experience, and depth makes them formidable opponents for anyone. Yet, lurking just behind them, the Mariners stand ready to break the script.
Baseball history is full of unexpected October heroes and teams that defy the odds. In 2025, whether the favorites hold serve or the dark horse charges to the forefront, the road to the World Series promises drama, unpredictability, and unforgettable moments.
For fans, that’s the beauty of this sport, the certainty that nothing is specific, and the belief that any team still standing has a shot at glory.
Perhaps the most important signing (or non-signing) watch of the offseason began Thursday. With the Dodgers beating the Yankees in a yawner of a World Series, baseball is officially over until 2025, which means teams will begin the mad scramble that is hot stove season.
For the Astros, all eyes are on Alex Bregman. The home grown third baseman is a free agent and should get a massive contract by the Astros or some other team. How much, how long and with whom are questions every Astros fan is wondering right now and no one knows the answer.
Unlike previous seasons when the Astros allowed George Springer and Carlos Correa to leave via free agency, this is not a team that is still loaded with talent across the board. There is no Jeremy Peña waiting in the wings to take over at third base and no dominant other youngsters who might fill the void in the lineup. For the first time in the “golden era” of Astros baseball, Jim Crane may be forced to doll out the kind of contract he has been loathe to give previously.
Not only is there not a viable option at third if Bregman leaves (making it more likely they will have to spend money on some high end free agent at that position), but he is rather unique among the Astros veterans. On field, he often acts like another coach, working with pitchers on strategy. He was one of the players who encouraged Yussei Kikuchi to throw specific pitches repeatedly that ended in tremendous success after coming to Houston.
There is also a point where, as a franchise, you have to find a way to stop the bleeding and keep some of your best players in house. They have done that with Cristian Javier, Jose Altuve and, to a lesser extent, Yordan Alvarez. Altuve, in particular, has been vocal in his belief that Bregman should and will return to a roster that absolutely needs him in the lineup.
By all accounts, Crane and GM Dana Brown will make a sizable offer to their third baseman. The average annual value (AAV) of the deal will likely be in line with some of the highest paid third basemen in the league. The question is will they offer enough years?
Matt Chapman, a player who is better defensively and has very similar numbers to Bregman, but doesn’t have the same playoff resumé, got six-year $151 million deal from San Francisco this year. That will be the starting point for negotiations between the Astros and Bregman’s super agent Scott Boras (who also represents Altuve).
Would, for example, five years, $160 million get it done? That’s $7 million more per season than Chapman, but one fewer year of the deal. If they Astros went to six years, would $180 million be enough to bring Bregman back or could he get more on the open market?
The truth is, if the Astros give Bregman a fair offer with a high AAV and he still opts to leave for more money or more years (seven or eight seasons?), no one in Astro world (pun intended) should hang their heads. The Astros had the third highest payroll in baseball this year and it was still almost $55 million lower than the Yankees and more than $60 million lower than the Mets.
By comparison, the A’s spent just over $63 million in total payroll in 2024.
The Astros and Crane spend money and they will continue to be willing to do so. But there are factors beyond Bregman. A much bigger free agent year awaits them after the 2025 season when Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez (among others) enter free agency. Tucker will be worth more on the open market than Bregman. And none of this takes into account the fact that the Astros really don’t have an every day first baseman on the roster or in the minors.
Everyone wants Alex Bregman back in an Astros uniform, but if he doesn’t sign in Houston, it won’t be because the Astros were cheap. It will be because the market it ridiculous and even with the third highest payroll in baseball, there are limits to what Jim Crane can spend.
