It was by far the season that anyone expected from the Houston Astros, but as the team was somewhat passive in the offseason. At the trade deadline, it isn’t shocking that they were swept in the Wild Card round against the Chicago White Sox.
In defense of the front office, nobody expected Tatsuya Imai to turn out the way that he did. But when they decided to trade Spencer Arrighetti and not replace an already depleted rotation, they were set up for failure.
But the lack of depth that existed in the rotation isn’t the only issue that the team faced as the bullpen had a couple of problems that couldn’t be ignored, as well as a rotating outfield that had no offense, no matter who was suited up out there.
- Help for the starting rotation
- Getting rid of a pair of relievers
- An offensive outfielder
Free Agent Options To Add to the Pitching Staff
It seems unlikely that the Astros are willing to spend the pretty penny that it will cost to obtain a guy like Tarik Skubal, although they should, as Hunter Brown has not emerged as the team’s ace, which is lowlighted by his first-inning exit in the elimination game against the White Sox.
Regardless of whether the team decides to pursue a high-dollar arm, they need at least one or two more to help out Brown, Peter Lambert, and Hayden Wesneski. Without both Lambert and Wesneski stepping up, there really is no telling how far under .500 the team would have finished.
A couple of great options for the front office to go after would be both veteran Kevin Gausman as well as Casey Mize. Gausman and Mize will likely not cost nearly as much as someone like Skubal, as Gausman is aging and Mize struggled after being traded to the San Diego Padres.
Two Pitchers That Cannot Be Re-Signed in the Coming Months
There is really no expressing the downfall of both Bryan King and Bennett Sousa, who are very far outside of the circle of trust for the coaching staff, as both fell flat on their faces in the playoffs, but also posted ERA’s well over 7.00 in their final 15 games of the regular season.
A Move at the Trade Deadline Did Not Answer Their Problem
When the deadline came around, the front office decided to move Arrighetti in exchange for Gold Glove center fielder Daulton Varsho who is about to enter free agency. While Varsho is excellent as a defender, he has been an offensive liability this year, so pursuing him doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Varsho posted a .535 OPS since joining his new team while also batting well under .200. Houston needs help in the middle of the lineup, and he is not the answer.
Ultimately, the Astros need help pretty much everywhere, and if their new general manager (whoever it is) doesn’t take this seriously, then 2027 could fare even worse than this season.
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