Sign of the times: Houston Texans could be up for unprecedented recognition
BEST OF THE BEST
16 November
BEST OF THE BEST
If the season were over today, the Houston Texans would be in the playoffs as the last wild card after their victory over Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans is being discussed as a serious candidate for Coach of the Year, and the entire sports world has been debating CJ Stroud's chances to win MVP.
But what about the job Nick Caserio is doing as general manager?
ESPN Houston's Jeremy Branham posed an interesting question this week. Should Nick Caserio be in contention for Executive of the Year?
Is Nick Caserio the Executive of the Year in the NFL?
Nick Caserio brought in 12-ish starters over the offseason.
β Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) November 15, 2023
Not only has he brought in countless starters through free agency, but this year's draft class is shaping up quite nicely, with CJ Stroud, Will Anderson, and Tank Dell already looking like hits.
Could the Texans have a legit shot at winning three awards between Caserio, Ryans, and Stroud?
Be sure to watch the video above as we break it all down!
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The Houston Astros were in need of some serious help in the bullpen with Phil Maton, Hector Neris, and Ryne Stanek likely leaving this year in free agency.
The Houston Astros have acquired RHP Dylan Coleman from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHP Carlos Mateo. pic.twitter.com/hDYuBLn2Kv
β Houston Astros (@astros) December 6, 2023
While some fans were getting concerned about the quiet offseason, the club has made two moves this week to get the ball rolling.
First the team signed Victor Caratini to be the backup catcher, and now they have added some relief pitching.
The Astros traded pitching prospect Carlos Mateo to the Royals for RHP pitcher Dylan Coleman.
Coleman appeared in 96 games in the past three seasons for KC, including 68 games in 2022 and 23 games last season. He has a career 3.88 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Heβs fastball (95 mph), slider (81) and cutter (90) and walked 57 batters and struck out 99 in 92 2/3 innings.
β Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) December 6, 2023
Coleman is under club control for the next several years, and made just over $700,000 in 2022. With the Astros right up against the tax threshold, this is a good way to add to the bullpen without having to hand out a large contract.
The Royals had a tough roster decision to make with Coleman, and the Astros made the decision easy for them by making the trade.
Something to note
There's a reason Kansas City wasn't determined to protect Coleman from the Rule 5 Draft. Despite his decent numbers over the last three seasons, 2023 was a rough year for him, posting an 8.84 ERA over 23 games.
In fact, Coleman pitched more innings (30.2) for the Royals AAA team than he did for the big league club (18.1) in 2023.
Hopefully, the Astros can get him back on track this season with some help from their highly touted player development program.
You can watch some of his 2022 highlights above.