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 Texans receivers are built to break defenses (but not how you think)
May 21, 2025, 6:15 pm
The Houston Texans continue to build one of the NFL’s most intriguing wide receiver rooms — and according to Yahoo Sports analyst Matt Harmon, their new rookie additions bring more than just depth. Harmon offered insight into how the Texans might creatively deploy second-round pick Jayden Higgins and third-rounder Jaylin Noel, two players with contrasting skill sets who could carve out meaningful roles in Nick Caley's (formerly with the Rams) offense.
At first glance, Higgins fits the traditional mold of an outside receiver. At 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, he lined up mostly as an X receiver in college and looked the part physically. But Harmon suggests that Higgins might actually be a better fit as a power slot — a big-bodied interior option who can do damage against zone coverage, similar to how the Rams used Cooper Kupp in his prime.
That role makes sense in Houston. The Texans already have one of the league’s premier outside receivers in Nico Collins, and there’s no pressure to force Higgins into a role that doesn’t maximize his skill set. According to data from Reception Perception, Higgins struggled against tight coverage in college, finishing in just the 15th percentile in success rate versus man and 16th percentile versus press. Letting Higgins attack softer coverages from the slot could be the key to unlocking his full potential.
Still, Higgins might not even be the most impactful rookie receiver the Texans landed.
While Higgins came in with the size and profile of a prototypical NFL wideout, Noel quietly outproduced him in 2024 at Iowa State and was quite often more feared by opponents. Noel’s game is built around separation and quickness — and despite being under six feet tall, there's confidence that he can play both inside and outside at the pro level. His 74.1 percent success rate versus man coverage speaks to his advanced route-running, which could earn him early targets in Houston’s pass-heavy scheme.
With Collins, Christian Kirk, Higgins, and Noel, the Texans suddenly have a flexible, matchup-proof receiving group that can attack every level of the field. If C.J. Stroud takes another step in year three, this offense could become even more dangerous — with its rookie receivers helping push it over the top.
Be sure to check out the video below to watch Harmon's full breakdown of the Texans receivers, and much more!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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