RIPPLE EFFECT
How Jose Abreu’s imminent return could shake up Houston Astros lineup, roster
May 22, 2024, 12:32 pm
Who gets sent down when Jose Abreu returns to the team? Composite Getty Image.
Hey, it’s not my money, why should I care?
All indications point to Jose Abreu and his albatross contract rejoining the Houston Astros early next week. Abreu will be inserted into the lineup, at least on a platoon basis, with lefty Jon Singleton, and given “every opportunity” to regain the form that won him an American League MVP in 2020.
José Abreu will remain in West Palm Beach and play FCL games today and tomorrow before reporting to Triple-A Sugar Land this weekend, Joe Espada said.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) May 22, 2024
But how long does “every opportunity” last? Of course fans (more so Astros owner Jim Crane) hope that Abreu’s return is successful and he is once again a productive Major League power hitter, like when he led the American League in RBI in 2019.
What if he goes 0-4, 1-4, 0-2 (his batting average when he left the Astros three weeks ago) his first week back and the Astros struggle? What if Abreu, as many suspect, is washed?
What then? It’s believed that owner Crane is loathe to cut bait on Abreu and eat the remainder of the $58.5 million contract he signed before last season – which would be about $34 million with nothing to show for it.
On April 30, the day Abreu was dispatched to West Palm Beach instructional camp to find his long-lost swing, the Astros were 10-19, dead last in the American League West.
Since Abreu’s departure, the Astros have gone 12-8 and moved into third place trailing the first place Mariners by only five games and the second place Rangers by a mere two games. Simply, the Astros have a shot at making the playoffs.
Singleton has taken advantage of inheriting the starting first base job. He’s hitting .229 with five homers and 14 RBI – including a mammoth shot into the Minute Maid Park batting eye Tuesday night in the Astros 6-5 win over the Angels.
This week outfielder Chas McCormick returned from injury and the Astros sent infielder Trey Cabbage down to Sugar Land.
What’s going to happen when Abreu is back? Who is on the chopping block? Astros general manager Dana Brown suggested, or at least raised the possibility, that Joey Loperfido could be demoted to Sugar Land so he can play every day and cut down on his strikeouts.
Joey is a fan favorite. How you doin’? Almost a month after leaving the Sugar Land Space Cowboys for the Astros, he’s still tied for the home run lead in the Pacific Coast League. If Loperfido is sacrificed to make room for Abreu, it won’t sit well with fans.
Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada are fond of saying “look at the back of his baseball card” when defending Abreu.
OK, let’s do that.
Abreu, 37, is batting .099 with no home runs and three RBI in 77 plate appearances.
Loperfido, 25, is batting .333 with one home run and five RBI in 43 plate appearances.
Seen enough?
Abreu spent the last three weeks in Florida trying to regain his stroke. In four games in the Gulf Coast League, he went 6-for-18 for a .333 batting average. The Gulf Coast League is rookie-level. It’s the lowest-rung of minor league baseball in North America.
Sending a big leaguer to the Gulf Coast League to rediscover his batting form is like sending a PGA golfer to play goony golf at Chuck E. Cheese to improve his putting.
Again, everybody hopes that the Astros are getting the Abreu of old. There’s a chance he could just be old.
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How Houston Texans' defense now measures up to other NFL powerhouses
Mar 14, 2025, 2:22 pm
We’re inside two weeks to the Astros starting their regular season (Yes!), but the NFL hogged this week of the pro sports scene with its annual spend like drunken sailors shopping spree via free agency. The Texans’ activity has been interesting on both the free agent and trade fronts. Let’s dig in.
Let’s start with their Tunsil-ectomy. Laremy Tunsil was a very good though not superstar left tackle here. His embarrassing number of false starts notwithstanding, Tunsil was consistently their best pass protector. That might not be saying much relative to the rest of the offensive line, but it is not meant as damning with faint praise. Pro Bowl selections can come from reputation or flat-out bad voting, but being named a Pro Bowler five times in six seasons is at least a good indicator a guy doesn’t stink. Still, had he remained, Tunsil’s salary cap figure would have been a bloated 28 and a half million dollars. Getting second and third round draft picks from the Washington Commanders for Tunsil is a good return, though it is also telling that the Texans were willing to absorb 15 million dollars in dead salary cap space to offload him.
Cutting guard Shaq Mason costs the Texans another 12 and a half mil in dead cap space, a little over five million of that swallowed this year with the balance wasted in 2026. Nick Caserio signed Tunsil and Mason to the contract extensions the Texans ultimately chose to escape from early. Caserio’s first first round pick in charge was guard Kenyon Green, whose time with the Texans was an absolute flop. Dealing Green this week to the Super Bowl Champion Eagles for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is an absolute win, almost regardless of how Gardner-Johnson performs here. “CGJ” joins Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock in giving the Texans three talented safeties all 27 years old or younger. Back to the o-line. Two years in, former second round pick Juice Scruggs is a middling player at best. Off an undistinguished rookie season as a second rounder also, Blake Fisher has a prove himself season coming with the right tackle job seemingly being handed to him.
Tytus Howard presumably slots as the new left tackle. Season-to-season he has never been as good as Tunsil. At over 23 million dollars, Howard presently carries the second-biggest cap figure on the team, behind only Danielle Hunter. One guard spot in 2025 goes to value free agent signee Laken Tomlinson. Summing him up in one word, Tomlinson is middling. In another word he is durable. The 33-year-old Tomlinson has started every game for seven consecutive seasons. The downside is he’s just not that great. Hence the Texans get him on a one-year contract for four and a quarter mil. Yet, if Tomlinson can be an average starting guard that will be a substantial upgrade from their guard play in 2024. That leaves center and the other guard spot to sort through. Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson are still around. Caserio took a flier in trading a 2026 sixth round pick to Minnesota for guard Ed Ingram. After starting for two and a half seasons, a healthy Ingram was benched and didn’t play one snap apart from special teams in the Vikings’ last nine games. Ingram is only 26 years old and in the final season of his rookie contract. Again, he doesn’t need to be confused with prime-Mike Munchak to be able to improve the Texans at least incrementally.
Add it all up and Caserio has not done a good job where the o-line is concerned. His in-season remarks bleating about a “lazy narrative” from the media re: the weakness of that line were condescending and/or mistaken at the time, and now register as flat out ridiculous. The offensive coordinator and offensive line coach have been fired, three of the season-opening starting o-linemen have been jettisoned. With all of the changes, all offensive line problems going forward should be pinned squarely on Caserio. I think C.J. Stroud would agree.
Doubling down on defense
The Texans’ other free agent moves have been depth plays, most notably on the defensive line, re-signing defensive linemen Mario Edwards Jr., Derek Barnett, and Kurt Hinish, adding Darrell Taylor, and bringing back 2023 starter Sheldon Rankins after he had an injury-hindered 2024 with Cincinnati. The wide receiver room needed work. Stefon Diggs is probably gone, unfortunately Tank Dell is a question mark to play much at all in 2025. None among Robert Woods, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson should be automatics for roster spots. The trade for Christian Kirk from Jacksonville adds a speed component at wideout. Maybe Justin Watson from Kansas City has sleeper contributor potential. Over the last two seasons with the Chiefs Watson caught 49 passes, five for touchdowns.
The next heavy lifting for the Texans comes with the NFL Draft, which starts April 24. The Texans have the 25th pick in the first round. Pending any other free agent moves of note, offensive line and wide receiver should remain top priorities.
Closing in on Opening Day, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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