LOOKING AHEAD
How early playoff exit could impact Astros future moves
Oct 3, 2024, 2:09 pm
Jose Altuve is fighting to keep Alex Bregman in an Astros uniform. Composite Getty Image.
Houston’s early playoff exit means Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander might have played their last games for the Astros.
The AL West champions were swept by the Detroit Tigers in their Wild Card series, losing 5-2 in Game 2 on Wednesday. Houston had made seven consecutive appearances in the AL Championship Series, winning two titles along the way.
Bregman and Verlander have been key performers for the Astros, but their future is uncertain after the team's brief stay in October.
The 30-year-old Bregman is eligible for free agency after spending the last nine seasons as Houston’s third baseman. He was selected by the Astros with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 amateur draft.
The 41-year-old Verlander also appears to be going to free agency after failing to pitch the 140 innings he needed to trigger a $35 million player option on his contract.
An emotional Bregman said after the game that he hadn’t had a chance to process the loss, much less think about his future.
“I was planning on being here tomorrow,” he said. “So, I’ll just let Scott (agent Scott Boras) and them handle that this offseason. I haven’t even really thought about it.”
Bregman is a two-time All-Star, and he won a Silver Slugger Award in 2019. He hit .260 with 26 homers and 75 RBIs this season.
While trying his best not to look ahead Wednesday, he did take a moment to look back on his career with the Astros.
“I came here when I was 21 years old,” he said. “I made my debut against the Yankees and have been to the ALCS every year except for this one. It’s been a fun time and I cherish every second of it. And it’s been an honor to be here and I definitely don’t take it for granted.”
When pressed about his future, he said he hopes to return. Teammate Jose Altuve was much more aggressive about his desire for Bregman to remain with the team.
“I’m pretty confident that he’s going to be our third baseman next year,” Altuve said. “We have to have him. We’re not going to be the same organization without him. In my mind, there’s not a chance that this is the last game.”
Altuve said he would talk to team owner Jim Crane about re-signing Bregman. In the last few years, Altuve has watched longtime teammates George Springer and Carlos Correa leave when they hit free agency.
Altuve said he would be “heartbroken” if Bregman departed.
As for Verlander, the pitcher is unlikely to return to a team that is well-stocked with young starters. The three-time Cy Young Award winner struggled with injuries this season, going 5-6 with a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts.
He missed two months this summer with a neck injury and said he never felt quite right after his return. He had a 9.26 ERA in five starts in September and was left off the postseason roster.
“Kind of a weird injury in the neck and tried as best I could to get out there and be an asset to help this team in October,” he said. “But wasn’t able to do it, obviously wasn’t pitching well enough to be part of this series.”
But the right-hander believes he “has a lot more to give” next season and beyond.
“I definitely feel like I want to continue to pitch and compete and I’m not ready to step away yet,” he said.
Verlander reflected on his time with the Astros, which included helping the team to World Series titles in 2017 and 2022. This was his second stint with Houston after returning in a trade with the New York Mets last July.
“There’s a lot of moments that stick out, there’s some great ones in there as well,” he said. “But just more, I think the vibe is something that sticks out to me here. Just in the locker room and outside of it.”
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The Houston Texans have a chance to win a third straight AFC South title this season with quarterback C.J. Stroud and coach DeMeco Ryans.
The challenge?
Nobody has won three straight titles since Peyton Manning was in his prime with the Indianapolis Colts in this division’s early years. The Tennessee Titans most recently came the closest only to come up short in 2022.
“I’m not really sure like what the next step is,” Houston general manager Nick Caserio said. “I mean we have a good football team, so we’ve been one of the best eight teams in the league the last two years. So what’s going to happen beyond that nobody has any idea.”
The Texans have advanced to two straight divisional rounds each of the past two postseasons, losing both with the most recent to Kansas City 23-14 in January. Caserio made a variety of moves to help Stroud, and coach DeMeco Ryans switched offensive coordinators as well.
Houston tight end Dalton Schultz said they just have to do one thing to get past the divisional round.
“It’s never the same as the year before, and there’s always some little wrinkle that is going to hit the league or hit your team,” Schultz said.
Houston went 10-7 in 2024 with the Colts at 8-9 with everyone working furiously to catch up — or else.
Indianapolis switched starting quarterbacks. Jacksonville hired a new coach and general manager before trading up to draft Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Tennessee has No. 1 draft pick overall in Cam Ward starting at quarterback after firing and hiring a new general manager.
“This league is a year-to-year league and what do I feel is best for the Colts in 2025,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said.
Texans’ challenge
Houston has to protect Stroud better. Only Chicago’s Caleb Williams was sacked more than the 2024 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. With the pounding, Stroud’s production dipped as he was sacked 52 times with his interceptions more than doubling to 12 from his rookie season.
Stroud still threw for 3,727 yards and 20 touchdowns. Ryans fired Bobby Slowik and hired Nick Caley as offensive coordinator.
“He comes from a different style than I’m used to, at least in the NFL,” Stroud said of Caley. “So, it’s cool just to learn something new and put another tool in my toolbox.”
Caserio traded five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil to Washington during the offseason to clear space to sign younger players. The Texans are expected to start a rookie at left tackle in second-round pick Aireontae Ersery with Tytus Howard at right tackle where he started 16 games last season.
Houston also acquired Christian Kirk, signed Justin Watson and drafted a pair of receivers out of Iowa State to provide depth behind Nico Collins after letting Stefon Diggs leave in free agency. Caserio also sent wide receiver John Metchie to Philadelphia for tight end Harrison Bryant on Aug. 17.
Hey Danny Dimes
Indianapolis has missed the playoffs the past four seasons, and a fifth straight could cost Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard their jobs with the late Jim Irsay’s daughters now running the franchise.
Going with Daniel Jones means the franchise who went two decades with Manning and Andrew Luck at quarterback will have yet another starter on opening day. Since 2017, only Anthony Richardson has started back-to-back season openers.
Yet the fourth overall pick in 2023 couldn’t stay healthy or help Jonathan Taylor nearly enough. Taylor ran for 1,431 yards and 11 TDs as Richardson completed just 47.7% of his throws, the lowest rate of any regular starter in the NFL.
Steichen said Richardson, 23, was thrown into the fire. The Colts coach isn’t ready to talk about Jones’ future.
“Let’s see how the season goes,” Steichen said.
Jacksonville’s youth movement
The biggest makeover came in Jacksonville, firing a Super Bowl-winning coach in Doug Pederson and GM Trent Baalke. The Jaguars hired Liam Coen as coach and James Gladstone, 34, as their new GM.
The Jaguars are trying to fix a team that went 3-10 in one-score games in 2024 with the franchise losers of 18 of its past 23.
In his first head coaching job, Coen, 39, has a pair of first-timers in offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. As coordinator in Tampa Bay, Coen became the first NFL coordinator in at least 25 years to help a team average more than 28 points a game.
He has Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, who was limited by injuries to 10 games in 2024. Wide receiver Brian Thomas now can get help from Hunter, even if the rookie will also play some defense.
Tennessee time
Brian Callahan also was a first-time head coach a year ago with the Titans. He brought in a former NFL head coach in Mike McCoy this offseason among a handful of other changes to apply his lessons learned.
Mike Borgonzi was hired as GM when Ran Carthon’s big offseason spending spree didn’t pan out. The Titans have embraced their rebuild even if they added veteran receivers Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson along with left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and right guard Kevin Zeitler.
Predicted order of finish
Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Jacksonville.