HOT STOVE
Houston Astros decide the fate of two World Series roster players
Nov 9, 2022, 10:10 am
Trey Mancini is now a free agent. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
Bench Dusty
The Houston Astros have decided to decline a mutual option for DH/1B Trey Mancini. Mancini is now a free agent, with the Astros opting for the $250,000 buyout.
Add 1B Trey Mancini and LHP Will Smith to the Astros’ free agent list. Both had options for 2023 that weren’t picked up. Mancini had a $10 million option for ’23 (with a $250,000 buyout) and Smith had a $13 million option for ’23 (with $1 million buyout).
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) November 9, 2022
Astros relief pitcher Will Smith is now a free agent as well, with the team declining his $13 million option. Smith's struggles continued after being traded to Houston at the trade deadline in a deal that sent starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi to the Atlanta Braves. Houston hoped to correct some of Smith's issues, as he was ineffective with Atlanta in 2022, but unfortunately a change of scenery wasn't enough to get Smith back on track. He finished the season with a 3.97 ERA, and didn't see any action in the postseason.
Trey Mancini was a different story, much was expected of him when he was traded to the Astros from the Orioles, where he was batting .268 on the season. After coming to Houston, Mancini batted under .200 and was unable to provide the offensive output the team had hoped for.
Mancini was able to contribute in the postseason with his glove, however, after Yuli Gurriel was injured in Game 5 of the World Series, and he had to step in and play first base. Trey made a game-saving play at first base in Game 5 and recorded a hit in Game 6 contributing to the Astros World Series win over the Phillies.
These are just the first two dominoes to fall as the Astros have more decisions to make in free agency with several key players.
Michael Brantley, Yuli Gurriel, Rafael Montero, just to name a few.
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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