How these surprising Houston Astros projections point to a bizarre path forward

FUTURE SHOCK

It's been an exciting offseason in MLB so far, with Shohei Ohtani signing with the Dodgers, and Juan Soto being traded to the New York Yankees.

But for Houston Astros fans, there hasn't been much to get excited about with the team limiting their spending. Astros fans are also preparing for the departure of Alex Bregman after the season, and rumors of trade talks about Framber Valdez have been swirling over the last week or so.

While we don't expect Valdez to be moved, there are reports about money being an issue for the club, which has many wondering if their championship window is closing quickly.

Baseball America put together some projections for what the Astros roster could look like several years from now.

So let's get right to it. Here's what the Astros 2027 roster could look like, according to Baseball America:

Projected 2027 Lineup
Catcher: Yainer Diaz (28)
First Base: Zach Dezenzo (27)
Second Base: Jose Altuve (37)
Third Base: Brice Matthews (25)
Shortstop: Jeremy Peña (29)
Left Field: Luis Baez (23)
Center Field: Jacob Melton (26)
Right Field: Kyle Tucker (30)
Designated Hitter: Yordan Alvarez (30)
No. 1 Starter: Cristian Javier (30)
No. 2 Starter: Hunter Brown (28)
No. 3 Starter: Spencer Arrighetti (27)
No. 4 Starter: Alonzo Tredwell (25)
No. 5 Starter: Andrew Taylor (25)
Closer: Bryan Abreu (30)

What are the biggest surprises?

We have to start with Kyle Tucker. It's hard to find anyone that thinks the Astros are going to meet his contract demands. However, when looking at the roster, they're not spending money on much else. So, who knows, if they approach the roster in this fashion, maybe Tucker could still be on the team.

It may not be a surprise, but this roster doesn't include Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, or Lance McCullers. And Cristian Javier would be in the last year of his deal in 2027. The Astros are putting a lot of faith in their development of pitchers with these projections.

Is the championship window still open with this lineup?

Probably not, unless several of these prospects reach the ceiling of their potential. Plus, it's not like Jim Crane to roll with a middle of the road roster like this.

But there is a lot of potential with many of these prospects. Players like Luis Baez and Brice Matthews are only in A ball, so it's hard to know what they'll be capable of in 2027.

Finally, if money issues continue to be an issue for Houston, do we expect Jim Crane to still own the team in 2027?

Be sure to watch the video above as we discuss the upside for these prospects, the teams' outlook moving forward, and much more.

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Rockets beat the Grizzlies, 119-115. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night in a showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Jalen Green finished with 27 points and Fred VanVleet scored 22 as the Rockets won their third straight and solidified their hold on second place in the Western Conference, moving 1 1/2 games ahead of Memphis.

Ja Morant scored 27 points in his return from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 16 points.

Houston dominated the inside early, scoring 20 points in the paint before the halfway point of the first quarter. Memphis initially couldn't stop anything at the rim. Houston opened a 17-point lead before taking a 68-63 advantage at the break.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston is 12-5 on the road, including six straight wins away from home.

Grizzlies: After allowing the Rockets to score inside and build a big lead, Memphis chipped into the advantage to make it a more competitive game.

Key moment

With 3.8 seconds left in the game and Houston leading 117-114, Bane fired up a 3-pointer that rattled in. But Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout before the shot was made. Bane was fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Memphis wouldn't get another chance for a winning shot.

Key stat

Houston is 19-3 when they score at least 110. Houston hasn't allowed more than 115 points in past 15 games.

Up next

The Rockets are at Atlanta on Saturday. Memphis travels to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Saturday.

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