Keeping it Raheel

Raheel Ramzanali: Texans training camp bingo

Raheel Ramzanali: Texans training camp bingo
Bill O'Brien and unity will be a big topic. Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images

As we inch closer to players reporting for Texans training camp in West Virginia, we will be hit upside the head with tons of training camp stories from various outlets. Sure every training camp is different, but they really aren’t. That’s why I wanted to throw some bingo spaces out there for storylines that ALWAYS get covered or become a story. So grab your markers and mark off the imaginary board of Texans Training Camp stories:

  • A sports radio host complains about J.J. Watt’s social media activity: Few things rile up sports radio hosts like J.J. Watt’s posting pictures on JJ Watt. It usually starts with the host saying something like, “I don’t even follow the guys, but gosh I saw this picture he posted” and it turns into. “J.J. needs to focus on returning and playing more than just two games this year”. Sure it only takes a minute to take a picture and post it on social, but J.J. HAS TO FOCUS AND STOP SPENDING SO MUCH TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Ugh, we sports radio hosts can be the worst.

  • The Inevitable defense vs. offense fight: Nobody likes a fight, but gosh these training camps are so long and guys get tired of hitting each other! These fights usually happen just days before the first preseason game or in a joint practice. Soon as one happens, mark it off your board!

  • Way too early cuts: Every day we will be hit with the “Here’s my way too early cuts” for training camp, but in reality those stories will be really off right up until the actual cuts are made.

  • Keke Coutee and Drake: Riding the popularity of In My Feelings by Drake, get ready to hear that song everytime Keke Coutee does something good on the field. Bonus: the Keke Coutee hype train. He has a chance to be a playmaker in this offense so you know the hype train is going to be on full speed with every single thing he does in training camp.

  • The offensive line caused Deshaun to get hurt: Maybe they did or maybe it was a missed assignment from a running back, but anytime the injury is brought up or the lack of talent on the O-line, get ready to hear about the injury.

  • Bill O’Brien Unity: The word unity will be thrown around  A LOT.

  • Houston weather vs West Virginia weather: We get it, it isn’t as hot in West Virginia as it is here in Houston.

  • Kiara Mia references: The Texans have a joint practice and preseason game against the 49ers so that means Jimmy Garoppolo will be the topic of conversation for a few days. Get ready to hear about his date with adult entertainer Kiara Mia.

  • “I think this a Super Bowl caliber team:” If everyone stays healthy, this team can win it all.

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The Astros have some tough decisions to make this offseason. Composite Getty Image.

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 as 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 (methinks 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.

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