How Jim Crane responds to this could be Astros most important moment
STONE COLD 'STROS
08 May 2024
What is Jim Crane thinking right now? Composite Getty Image.
As the Houston Astros continue to struggle through what has been a nightmare start to the season, one voice we haven't heard from in a while is club owner Jim Crane.
To be fair, Crane is under no obligation to comment on the state of the team. He has a GM and manager to address the media, and he has other business responsibilities outside of the Astros.
But we do wonder what he's thinking right now about the team's disastrous start to the season. Clearly, he can't be happy with how the club is performing on the field. But a lot of the front office decisions he approved have backfired.
And this is a year he decided to break out the checkbook and go over the luxury tax for the first time since 2020 by signing Josh Hader to a 5-year, $95 million deal. A move that has been a massive failure through the first 35 games.
Signing Hader this offseason, Jose Abreu, and Rafael Montero the previous offseason all look like misses. And even he has to acknowledge that parting ways with former GM James Click after the 2022 season may have jumpstarted the beginning of the end of the Astros dynasty (let's hope that's not the case).
If anything, we have to think he'll be gun shy about signing free agents to big deals moving forward, based on the poor results from Abreu and Hader.
And if the team continues to struggle as the trade deadline approaches, will he be open to trading some assets like Framber Valdez, Alex Bregman, or Kyle Tucker? Our guess is no, this guy has been a winner in all areas of life. He'll probably be thinking this team isn't dead yet, they are bound to turn things around based on their history (or back of the baseball card). And staying the course may end up being the correct move, only time will tell.
At the end of the day, Crane has led this organization to incredible heights, and is clearly the best owner in Houston sports history. But even he makes mistakes, and one of them appears to be listening to his baseball advisors like Jeff Bagwell and Reggie Jackson over the analytics department that this dynasty was built on.
Be sure to check out the video above for the full discussion about what Crane might be thinking right now, his role in the current state of the team, and much more.
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan every Monday on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel! We'll continue to drop more episodes throughout the week.
How Astros can look to silver lining solutions coming out of the Break
Jul 14, 2025, 3:49 pm
After riding high from a statement sweep of the Dodgers, the Astros limped into the All-Star break, having lost five of their last six games, including two of three to the rival Rangers. They still hold a five-game lead in the American League West, but the momentum they carried into July has cooled considerably.
While it’s tempting to point to the battered lineup as the reason for Houston’s recent struggles, the more pressing issue has been on the mound. For much of the season, elite pitching has masked an offense operating in the league’s bottom third. But during this six-game slide, the script flipped. Over the last seven days, Houston ranks 24th in team ERA at 5.37. The offense hasn’t been great either, 20th in runs, 22nd in OPS, 23rd in batting average, but those numbers aren’t that far off their season-long identity. The difference is that the pitching has stopped bailing them out.
The good news? Help may be (somewhat) on the way.
Astros GM Dana Brown recently provided updates on three key contributors. Shortstop Jeremy Peña isn’t expected back immediately after the break, but Brown said it shouldn’t be long before he returns from a fractured rib. Yordan Alvarez, meanwhile, is progressing well from his hand injury. According to Brown, Alvarez has “absolutely no pain” and will be re-evaluated Thursday. If cleared to swing, the Astros plan to expedite his return. Center fielder Jake Meyers, however, remains at least three weeks away as he recovers from a calf injury.
On the pitching front, expectations for late-season contributions from Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia remain uncertain. Both pitchers have thrown rehab starts recently in the Florida Complex League. Garcia has now been out for over two years following Tommy John surgery. If he’s not able to return this season, serious questions will need to be asked about his long-term outlook. Javier, also rehabbing from Tommy John, may be an option in August, but expectations should be tempered. As Brown himself has admitted, he tends to be optimistic. Fans would be wise to stay grounded.
Another arm to watch is Spencer Arrighetti. With no major injury (thumb) holding him back, Arrighetti may be Houston’s most viable rotation boost in the second half.
Fortunately, the schedule sets up favorably after the break. Over the next seven series, the Astros face four sub-.500 teams. But that doesn’t mean anything is guaranteed, especially if current trends continue.
Lance McCullers remains an enigma. When he’s locked in, he gives Houston a legitimate No. 3-caliber arm. When he’s off, he’s out of the game early and the bullpen pays the price. Manager Joe Espada faces one of his toughest managing challenges every time McCullers takes the hill.
Cam Smith has cooled off at the plate, hitless in his last 11 at-bats. He’s also been bounced all over the batting order. A simple solution? Plant him in the cleanup spot and let him adjust without the added mental shuffle.
And then there’s Josh Hader. The All-Star closer has surrendered home runs in three of his last four outings. If Houston is going to continue winning tight games with a low-margin offense, Hader has to be lights-out. His dominance alongside a top-tier setup man (Bryan Abreu) has been a pillar of the Astros’ success model this season. They need that foundation to hold.
The Astros aren’t panicking — nor should they. But after a hot run turned lukewarm, the margin for error is shrinking. The second half opens with an opportunity to bank wins and regain rhythm. Whether Houston capitalizes depends on health, consistency, and maybe a little creativity from the front office.
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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