Latest news and updates about the Astros
I also write a regular feature over at Battle Red Blog. It is called “Value of Things” and that title fits fairly comfortably with this piece and what is ultimately behind the lab. There are two separate questions when it comes to major sports teams. The first question is whether they are reasonably investing everything […]
Last time, we took a look at the outfield and the platoon splits for our various outfield candidates. Today, we will do the same with the infield. I should note a couple of things before we move forward. The first and main thing is that we are looking at career splits for all of these […]
The Pittsburgh Pirates are adding some depth to their starting pitching rotation. According to MLB insider Will Salmon, the Pirates are signing former World Series champion Jose Urquidy. Urquidy, 30, began his career in 2019 with the Houston Astros. For the first five years of his career, Urquidy was a valuable depth piece for an […]
It’s starting to look like none of the parties will have a choice. The Astros have a logjam in the infield, that isn’t news. They have been open to discussions on both Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker, that also isn’t news. However, we are now 6 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring […]
MLB News Roundup On the eve of the Detroit Tigers’ arbitration verdict with star pitcher Tarik Skubal, the team decided to go out and make a splash, further bolstering their rotation by picking up the best free agent pitcher on the market. For three years and $115 million, Framber Valdez is no longer a Houston […]
Just when it looked like the offseason might be over, Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg came through with a huge move that vastly upgrades the Detroit Tigers’ pitching staff, and gives them a strong second starter who can help lead the rotation beyond 2026. The Tigers inked long-time Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez to a […]
With pitchers and catchers set to report to Spring Training in just a couple of weeks, the Astros’ farm system continues to take shape. While the system has undergone significant changes in recent years due to promotions and trades, there remains intriguing talent throughout the organization. Here are three prospects who could be poised for […]
I believe Houston needs to move on from their CF. Astros fans, here I am again, the voice of reason. A few weeks ago, I floated the idea that it might be time to trade Jeremy Peña. Now I’m back with another uncomfortable but necessary conversation: the Houston Astros should seriously consider trading Jake Meyers […]
The deal now gives the Astros, or any new team, two years of cost certainty. Earlier today, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reported that the Houston Astros have come to a contract agreement with 3B Isaac Paredes on a 2-year, $22.7M deal. This deal having a second season with a club option (unless he finished Top […]
It’s only a motion away. Could there be an Astros and Framber Valdez reunion? Maybe the odds are better than we previously thought? Monday night on AREA 45 on Sportsradio 610, I posed the idea of the Astros getting back in on Framber Valdez with a short term, high AAV type deal with opt outs […]
Every good analyst has to start with an acknowledgement of limitations. As much as we might want to rely on the numbers on the back of the baseball card, each season exists in its own universe. One of the axioms I always go by is that I don’t really start worrying or getting excited until […]
Joe Espada has been upfront about wanting to start the season with a six-man rotation. Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai appear to have four of those spots locked up, but what about the other two? Here’s a list of contenders to watch with the start of spring training just a week […]
We will continue to update this list with new articles as new information/acquisitions occur. Spring Training is almost here. Astros pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach February 11. This is the part of the year where that excitement starts to ramp up, it’s almost time for baseball to be back! Now that the […]
In Economics, there is a fairly basic concept known as the law of marginal utility. We usually explain this to students through the use of pizza. Each slice of pizza is a little less satisfying than the one before it. This lesson is usually taught at a similar time as the law of diminishing returns. […]
Astros continue to look for pitching depth with option years. Thursday night the Houston Astros made a couple of roster moves as GM Dana Brown continues to look for pitching depth that still have options available on the contracts. First, Houston made a deal with the San Francisco Giants to acquire SP Kai-Wei Teng in […]
The Mets will broadcast 13 spring training games across SNY and PIX11, beginning with February 21st against the Marlins, and wrapping up on March 21st against the Astros. All of the SNY/PIX11 broadcast games will take place at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie. As per usual, the bulk of the Mets’ spring games are […]
The final review of the 2025 season will be looking at each position in the Astros farm system. Next up is the relief pitchers. BEST OF THE BUNCH Nick Hernandez Hernandez has been in out of the season for a few years. He had a dominant season in Triple-A posting a 2.12 ERA with 63 […]
It often is hard to separate analysis and fandom. If you ask most Astros fan to name the best player in franchise history, most of them will name Jose Altuve. It makes perfect sense. He has an MVP award like Jeff Bagwell. Unlike Bagwell, he has two rings and perhaps one of the best postseason […]
Realistically, that’s probably a good thing for both the players and the Houston Astros. Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve will not participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic, despite both players wanting to represent their home teams again. Correa has previously played for Puerto Rico and Altuve has previously played for Venezuela. Their absence is […]
Recently MLB Network hosts Houston native Robert Flores and Harold Reynolds released their own Houston Astros Franchise Favorite list, followed by another Houston native Brian McTaggart Astros beat writer for the Houston Astros. I figured why not weigh in the deep end of this pool. If you look at this graphic you will see the […]
The Astros Can’t Afford to Stand Pat and Dana Brown Knows It With FanFest now in the rearview mirror and the Super Bowl still dominating the sports calendar, it’s easy for Houston Astros fans to mentally hit pause before spring training truly begins. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: this roster is not finished, and pretending […]
Jake Bloss is a 24-year-old (25 in June), right-handed pitcher. We picked him up (with Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner) from the Astros, at the trade deadlin in 2024, for Yusei Kikuchi. Kikuchi made 10 starts for the Astros and had a 2.70 ERA with a 5-1 record, helping them get the Wild Card spot […]
We have hit the lull in between the hot stove league and Spring Training. There will be more deals made between now and then, but your Houston Astros are probably winding down their additions and changes. This affords us time to dive into some side conversations that could prove interesting. Last week, the BBWAA elected […]
(All photos courtesy Houston Astros) The Astros hosted a successful 2026 FanFest on Saturday, Jan. 24 at Daikin Park. The 2026 FanFest wraps up a great week of Astros Caravan stops throughout the Texas community and represents the official launch of baseball season for Astros fans. The official kickoff of the 2026 season saw 10,420 fans participate in autograph sessions, photo opportunities, […]
This would be a significant change on the trade winds rumor front. According to former Fox 26 Houston Sports Director Will Kunkel, the Astros are not currently in trade discussions with the Boston Red Sox for OF Jarren Duran: Now, trade talks and rumors are a fickle entity, as not currently being in trade talks […]