Here's what's next for Houston Astros following ALCS
ASTROS NEXT STEPS
24 October 2023
ASTROS NEXT STEPS
The Houston Astros 2023 season has come to a close as they fell to the Rangers in Game 7 of the ALCS. The struggles at Minute Maid Park continued from the regular season into the postseason, with the Astros unable to win a single game at home in the ALCS.
So what's next for Houston? Dusty Baker is reportedly retiring after this season, so a new manager appears to be coming. And the club should be very busy in free agency as they look to knock off the Rangers next year.
Sources: Dusty Baker has told multiple people that 2023 is his last season as a manager. With @Britt_Ghiroli https://t.co/7xL5VS5Ize
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 24, 2023
Be sure to watch the video above as we react to the series, and look ahead to next season.
Not long after the Astros pulled the trigger on trading Kyle Tucker, we started seeing reports about the club's interest in trading for Cardinals 3rd baseman Nolan Arenado.
The Athletic's Chandler Rome also reported that Arenado has a no-trade clause, and it's unclear if he would waive it to come to Houston. Earlier last week, a list of teams Arenado would reportedly waive his no-trade clause for circulated on the internet, and Houston was not on it.
The Astros are thought to still be in contention to re-sign Alex Bregman, but a trade for Arenado would kill any hope of a reunion with Breggy.
Also, one of the benefits of trading Tucker was using this as an opportunity to add to a depleted farm system. While Arenado is not expected to bring back a haul of coveted prospects, the Astros would be wise to avoid trading away any young talent for an aging player that's clearly regressing.
As Charlie Pallilo points out in the video below, a deep dive into Arenado's stats shows his numbers are frighteningly close to Jose Abreu's 2023 season. And we all know how that movie ended.
If the 'Stros are going to move on from Tucker and Bregman in the same offseason, it would be nice to give the fan base something exciting to look forward to. Such as signing a switch hitting power hitter like Anthony Santander to play left field.
If Houston goes into the season with an outfield consisting of Mauricio Dubon, Jake Meyers, and Chas McCormick, the infield better produce at a high level or this offense will struggle to score runs once again.
Which brings us to Framber Valdez. As it looks right now, the Astros are trying to reset while also planning to contend in a weak AL West. Would it be more wise to “rip off the band-aid” and deal Framber to speed up the rebuild?
Don't miss the video above as the guys from Stone Cold 'Stros address the latest trade reports, team building, and much more!