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Let's examine in what capacity Davis Mills will be a part of the Texans future
Dec 29, 2021, 12:30 pm
Mills has shown a few flashes. Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images.
Davis Mills has put up some impressive numbers in his last few games played/starts. He leads rookie quarterbacks in 300 yard passing games. He has a total of three, while the rest have only four. All three came in losses with only one of them coming in a game that was decided within one score. We've seen hollow stats by a quarterback in a losing season before. There are some in this city who still hang onto the fact that number 4 led the league in passing yards last season and use it as a reason to justify why he should be back on Kirby.
Whatever happens with 4, this team is still looking for their franchise quarterback. Mills has shown a few flashes, but he isn't looked at as a long-term solution. Chronicle beat writer Brooks Kubena was on with ESPN Houston's The Wheelhouse and stated he believes Mills is not a lock to be the starter next season. This shouldn't surprise anyone as this team won't allow any info they don't want out there leaked. Mills shouldn't be a lock because he hasn't earned it. While I think it'll be good to bring him back to compete for the job, it'll also be good to bring him back as a backup to whoever takes the job.
Decent, serviceable quarterbacks will always find work. I expect Mills to stick around the league a while in some capacity. He could become the franchise backup. Why wouldn't a team want to hang onto a smart, prototypical size, solid arm strength quarterback that can win a couple games here and there? Every team in the league needs them, and that's another reason why some guys hang on well past their prime.
This is also another reason why they could keep him and trade him to a team looking for a solid backup. The way this team is set up, they need any and every extra draft pick available. If a team comes calling and offers the Texans a quality mid round pick or more, they should take it. Mills hasn't shown anything to say he should be untouchable. He's had flashes of talent, but nothing consistent enough to have the team refrain from considering him as a trade piece, given the right offer.
What if given the time, Mills proves he's worthy? By all means, keep him! What better way to turn a team around than hitting on the most important position with a third-round pick?!? If this team truly feels he has a chance, plus seeing as there isn't a quarterback worth a top five to ten pick in this draft, they could load up on other positions of need (everything else). Letting him play it out after this coming offseason of loading up around him could help him progress more. By the following offseason, the team could be in even better shape as far as cap and maybe even draft capital, and really be able to say whether or not Mills is the chosen one.
No matter what way you slice it, Mills plays a role in the future of this franchise. Whether it's a bit part by getting a return draft pick, or he's the next best supporting actor as a backup, or if he turns out to be a box office star as a franchise quarterback. One way or another, we should expect him to help this franchise move forward towards better days.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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