EVERY-THING SPORTS
How a changing of the guard is impacting the landscape of Houston sports
Jun 29, 2022, 11:34 am
All 3 major sports teams in Houston appear to be in good hands.Composite image by Jack Brame.
This season we could be entering a whole new world for Astros, MLB
Houston is a strange sports town, professionally speaking. Football is the undisputed king. That's evidenced by the undying love fans show the Texans. Baseball is second, even though the Astros most recently gave the city a title and have given them a consistent winner to cheer for since 2015. Basketball is a clear third, since fans won't show up to a Rockets' playoff game until after the game has started.
At one point, all three teams were competitive and provided the city with a good deal of excitement. They also had competent general managers, though not all at once. The Texans had Rick Smith, who some say was hit or miss, but he was by far the team’s best GM in their history. The measuring stick isn’t very high, but Smith normally hit on 1st rounders. Jeff Luhnow was in charge of the turnaround for the Astros. His work environment may have been contentious according to rumors, but he brought the city a World Series and built a consistent contender. Daryl Morey may have left a hot mess, but the Rockets were always in the playoffs. He was able to keep a winning team, while reshaping the roster.
Fast-forward to today, and the city has a competent GM in every major pro sports team at the same time. James Click has kept the Astros on the winning track. While the penalties for the sign stealing scandal were hefty, he’s managed to make some shrewd moves. Signing Yordan Alvarez before he hit arbitration and free agency was huge! If he can get Kyle Tucker locked up as well, he’s definitely on the right track. Not going crazy over losing key guys and trusting his process has paid off handsomely so far.
Rafael Stone has had the best luck of all. It started very rocky for him by having to deal James Harden and Russell Westbrook at the beginning of his tenure. The return on investment was initially laughed at and thought to be pennies on the dollar.
Considering they drafted four 19-year-olds last draft (headlined by Jalen Green who looks like the real deal), taking a chance on Kevin Porter Jr, landing Jabari Smith Jr in this draft (Tari Eason not to be forgotten), and the inevitable collapse of the Nets, I think Stone has done well for himself. He may not have had the ideal background for the job (he was a lawyer by trade), he’s done well so far in trying to build this team back into a contender. If these kids develop and grow together, I think they can be what Boston and Golden State have been: a homegrown team contending year in and year out.
Nick Caserio of the Texans had perhaps the tallest mountain to climb. The quarterback position is the most important. He inherited one of the best young QBs in the league, but he also inherited his desire to leave and his alleged bizarre fetish that led to civil lawsuits. Some thought the haul he got was fair, while others thought it wasn’t enough. Did I mention his predecessor left the team in cap hell? Through it all, Caserio has managed to turn this team around and has them headed in the right direction. If Davis Mills proves to be a competent QB, that’ll be HUGE! However, the draft capital they have moving forward will help them draft or trade for their franchise QB if Mills isn’t the guy.
While the Astros are the only team currently in contention, the Rockets and Texans are looking like they may not be too far behind if things continue going their way. I’d LOVE to have a sit-down with all three and talk about philosophy and strategy! Houston sports are in good hands with these guys. Here’s to hoping they keep it going!
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Even though the 2024 Astros were only a pretty good team, capable of getting drummed out of the playoffs by any opponent, it’s still a bit of a shock to the system having the Astros’ season over well before the end of the first of week of October. Alas, seven consecutive trips to the American League Championship Series did not mean the Astros held the deed on a spot this year, or any going forward.
Early this year Jim Crane somewhat famously said that as long as he’s around the window of contention for the Astros will always be open. For the time being at least he’s absolutely right. The Astros still have a solid contender nucleus. If the Seattle Mariners add multiple significant quality players to their batting order for 2025 the Astros could be in big trouble, but unless the Mariners uncharacteristically step up there is no AL West foe that gives pause to whether the Astros are still an American League contender. That said, a contender is what they are. One of many. It hasn’t been a great team for two seasons now. There is nothing horrifying about that. If the Astros were to miss the playoffs entirely next year, it wouldn’t unstitch one thread from the wonderous run woven from 2017 forward.
Crane, General Manager Dana Brown and any others involved have an array of questions to answer. First on the minds of many is Alex Bregman. A six years or longer 150-mil plus contract for a soon-to-be 31-year-old Bregman coming off the worst healthy season of his career is not smart business. George Springer was a much better player his last two seasons with the Astros than Bregman has been the past two. Springer hit free agency when he was about six months older than Bregman is now. Springer is in decline and the two years remaining on the six year 150 million dollar deal he got from the Toronto Blue Jays look like a lot of sunk cost.
Bregman will seek more than six years, 150 mil. More power to him if he gets it, and there will be good teams in the market for a third baseman. Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez has been a better player than Bregman for five consecutive seasons. In April 2022 Ramirez signed a five year 124 million dollar extension with the Guardians. That will get him through his age-36 season. Last year Boston inked then 26-year-old slugging third baseman Rafael Devers to an 11 year 331 million dollar deal. Devers’s defense can be shaky but he’s been a better offensive player than Bregman four years running. Former superstar hot corner stud Nolan Arenado turns 34 years old in April. He’s been a mediocre player for two years now, but the St. Louis Cardinals are on the hook for 74 million over the next three years.
Buyer's remorse?
If Dana Brown thinks closer Josh Hader had a strong season, he’s mistaken. Citing Hader has having blown only three (it was actually four) saves is superficial, conveniently leaving out the fistful of games Hader gave up with ninth inning home runs in non-save situations. Owing him 19 million dollars for another four seasons is a terrible (and untradeable unless paying down a lot of it) contract for the Astros. Hader last had back-to-back excellent seasons in 2018 and 2019. He was awful in 2022, middling this year. Hopeful good news is that Hader was sensational in 2021 and 2023. An odd year beckons!
We’ll have much to address, analyze, and discuss through a huge Astros’ offseason which is off to an atypically early start. Do they put Framber Valdez on the trading block? Unless Valdez takes a short money extension, say, two years 50 million beyond his final salary arbitration season of 2025, hard to see the Astros committing big bucks long term to a 32-year-old pitcher (Framber’s age Opening Day 2026). His latest lousy postseason outing aside, Framber is quality and would command a solid return even as a one-season rental. Think a lesser version of Corbin Burnes who Milwaukee dealt to Baltimore last offseason for two excellent prospects and a draft pick. Of course, dealing Framber would punch a big hole in the Astros’ 2025 rotation, which beyond him has only Hunter Brown and Ronel Blanco as solid guys going into the new campaign. Spencer Arrighetti has promise, but was 7-13 with a 4.53 earned run average. There is hope that Luis Garcia should be an okay back of the rotation starter coming off of his Tommy John surgery, but that’s at least as much hope as expectation. Who knows whether Cristian Javier pitches at all coming off of his Tommy John operation, and if so how well? Lance McCullers? Anyone can dream, I guess.
Do they try to off-load Ryan Pressly’s 14 million dollars salary (me thinks yes but what’s the market, and would Pressly waive his no-trade clause)? That would help the re-sign Yusei Kikuchi Fund. What plausibility is there for a Kyle Tucker extension? Would he agree to rebate a million dollars for each weak postseason at bat? Kidding. Mostly. Then there’s third base if Bregman a goner, center field, will Jeremy Pena improve at all, and more. A piping Hot Stove it shall be.
*Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcasts. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon. Find all via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.