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An important lesson to keep in mind as Astros roll to another ALCS

An important lesson to keep in mind as Astros roll to another ALCS
Carlos Correa is going to get all the money from somebody. Composite image by Jack Brame.

The Houston Astros are headed to their fifth straight American League Championship Series! This trip was courtesy of the Chicago White Sox, their crotchety old manager Tony La Russa, big mouth relief pitcher Ryan Tepera, and the powers that be who've hated on the Astros (looking at you MLB and ESPN). They upended the White Sox 10-1 in game four of the American League Division Series to win it three games to one. While it might be taboo to look forward to next season, the thoughts about how to keep this gravy train going kept crossing my mind.

The future of a couple key pieces to this run specifically came to mind. Carlos Correa and Justin Verlander have held this team down since their respective arrivals. Correa really stepped up as a leader before last season started in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal and its fallout. Verlander was the unquestioned ace of this staff since his literal last second arrival at the waiver wire trade deadline in 2017. Sure Gerrit Cole fans can make a case for him while he was here, but Verlander helped bring a ring to this city. Both Correa and Verlander are set to be free agents this offseason. Both are at the top of their position groups. Both will command a pretty penny. But should the Astros break the bank to keep both?

In Correa's case, I say no. While his leadership and defense are second to none, his bat can be replaced in the lineup by a cheaper option. He's also 27, looking for a long-term mega deal, and very injury prone. My thought is he'll command somewhere north of seven to eight years averaging $30 million plus per year. It's easy to say Jim Crane should pony up and pay the man, but we have to look at the long-term viability of the team as a whole. Pedro Leon could be the next shortstop if Correa isn't brought back. That, or bring in a third baseman and move Alex Bregman back to his natural position.

When it comes to Verlander, my thoughts run along the same lines. Why pay big money (assuming that's what he's going to want) to a soon-to-be 39-year-old pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery? Sure he's a first ballot Hall of Famer, but this team was able to reach two consecutive ALCS appearances without him. Not to mention the players rejected him throwing out the first pitch at one of the home games in the ALDS because he hasn't been around all year.

Gow Media's own John Granato broke that story last week. Considering his teammates feel this way, why would the team bring him back? There are other starters they could spend money on that are much younger, cheaper, and would love to come play for a contender.

The Astros have options. With these two guys' money, along with Zack Greinke's money, all coming off the books, there's room to spend the freed up cash elsewhere and more wisely. Not to mention they may want to keep some of that money to re-sign guys like Framber Valdez, Yordan Alvarez, and Kyle Tucker. Keeping the dynasty window open is about playing chess, not checkers. Fans have to understand some tough decisions will be made (like letting Cole and George Springer walk). They may not like those decisions at the moment, but everyone loves a winner. In the end, that's all that matters.

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The Texans are the class of the division. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

The Houston Texans received a lot of praise for their moves in free agency across various outlets. And for good reason, most people believe the team got significantly better with the additions of Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Denico Autry among others.

But there's another factor to consider this offseason. How much have the other teams in the AFC South improved?

When looking at the PFF grades in free agency, the Colts received a B-minus. Most of the Colts moves this offseason involved spending a lot of money re-signing their own players. Which is great in theory, but it's hard to improve the overall quality of your roster when you're bringing back players that were already there to begin with. A lot will be riding on player development for the Colts to see a big jump this season. A healthy quarterback wouldn't hurt either.

The Jaguars have made some big additions financially this offseason by signing receiver Gabe Davis and defensive tackle Arik Armstead. They also lost the top receiver on the market, Calvin Ridley, to the Titans. Gabe Davis wasn't able to establish himself as a reliable No. 2 receiver with Josh Allen throwing him the ball in Buffalo. So it's hard to believe he'll take the next step in Jacksonville. Their best move of the offseason might have been retaining edge rusher Josh Allen by using the franchise tag on him. So what did PFF think of Jacksonville's offseason? They received a B-minus, just like the Colts.

The Titans have a lot of turnover heading into the 2024 season, and not just on the roster. They have a new head coach in Brian Callahan, who's looking to revamp Tennessee's offense. Early in free agency, they agreed to terms with former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, signing him to a 3-year deal at $8 million per season. Which is more money than the Ravens are paying for Derrick Henry, who left the Titans in free agency. Calvin Ridley was the most notable addition to the squad, he received a 4-year, $92 million deal. And while this could be viewed as an overpay, at least he gives the Titans' offense some upside. Their receiving corps looks a lot more dangerous with Ridley added to DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.

They also spent big at the center position, adding Lloyd Cushenberry on a 4-year, $50 million contract.

Because the Titans spent a lot of money on some highly coveted players, PFF gave them a B.

Now that brings us to the Texans. The Texans re-signed some of their own players like Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown. But they also made some big splashes with Hunter, Autry, Al-Shaair, and Joe Mixon. But the Texans spent their money in a more conservative way by not handing out many contracts over two years in length.

The Texans managed to add the best pass rusher in free agency with Hunter, but it's only a two-year deal. The overall talent level is going up on this roster, and GM Nick Caserio isn't having to sign players to long contracts that could come back and haunt him.

That's why we're seeing post-free agency power rankings coming out with Houston in the Top 10. And that's also why PFF gave the Texans an A for their moves in free agency.

Be sure to check out the video above as Craig from Sports Talk Extra takes an in-depth look at PFF's grades for the AFC South, and much more!

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