Falcon Points

Ranking the 5 biggest moves in a busy summer for Houston sports

Ranking the 5 biggest moves in a busy summer for Houston sports
Compilation by Brandon Strange

Someone asked me on Twitter if there has ever been a more active summer in terms of Houston sports teams both on and off the field. You would be hard-pressed to find one. Let's look at the five biggest moves this summer and grade them:

5) Texans go GM by committee, ship out Clowney for nothing

Texans Jadeveon Clowney Houston Texans/Facebook

The Texans botched their draft, then fired their GM search and botched that, leaving them with a "flatter" organization. It's also a dumber one. Mainly because of the "deal" they made to trade Jadeveon Clowney.

This is a move the Texans did not need to make, especially if they were going to go all-in on the other move on this list. Trading one of your best five players when you did not need to is frankly just dumb. Seattle might only get a year out of him, but then they would get a third round pick if he signs elsewhere, which is basically what they give up. Huge win for Seattle.

Grade: F.

4) Verlander's dominance

Justin Verlander pitches Game 1. Bob Levey/Getty Images

Justin Verlander cemented his Cy Young case with a no-hitter on Sunday in Toronto, striking out 14. Verlander is 17-5 with 2.56 ERA and 257 strikeouts. We are seeing a future Hall of Famer at his very best.

Grade: A+.

3) Astros additions

Colorado Rockies v Houston Astros

The Astros made a big splash at the deadline, acquiring Zack Greinke. While he has not been dominant yet as an Astro, he is one of the best in the business and the move bolstered the Astros World Series chance. In addition, the exciting young Jordan Alvarez was called up and all he has done is make a run at the Rookie of the Year award by hitting well over .300 with 22 HRs and 63 RBI in just 66 games. Throw in Aaron Sanchez's debut with a combined no-hitter and the Stros continue to be the best run organization in the city.

Grade: A+

2) Texans go all in on Tunsil

After the disastrous Clowney trade, the Texans shipped two No. 1s and a 2 to Miami for Laremy Tunsil and WR Kenny Stills. Tunsil is something the Texans have been desperate for ever since they shipped off Duane Brown for nothing - a legitimate, No. 1 left tackle with upside. The price was steep, but players like Tunsil are rarely available. He should make a huge difference. It also makes the Clowney trade worse, because if you are going all-in on the season, why don't you keep him?

Grade: B

1) Rockets acquire Westbrook

Russell Westbrook Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

The Rockets made a huge splash, acquiring former MVP Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul and a package of picks. While it may or not be a fit, putting Westbrook with Harden gives the Rockets an intriguing duo in the Western Conference. For sheer entertainment value, the Rockets get a good grade.

Grade: A-

The bottom line

The Texans and Rockets may never have another first-round pick, but if either team is successful, that will be forgotten. The Astros continue to be the gold standard by which all others are measured. Regardless, it has been one hell of an active summer. Now we will see how it all plays out when it counts.

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The Astros are looking to build on their 4 1/2 game lead over Seattle. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros open a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park. Houston, sitting atop the AL West with a 77-66 record, looks to bolster its postseason positioning, while Oakland (62-82) aims to play spoiler as the season winds down.

Pitching Probables
The Astros will send Spencer Arrighetti (7-12, 4.82 ERA) to the mound. Arrighetti has shown flashes of brilliance this season with 151 strikeouts but has struggled with consistency, sporting a 1.43 WHIP. He’ll face Osvaldo Bido (5-3, 3.41 ERA) for the Athletics, who has been a reliable arm in the Oakland rotation, posting a 1.09 WHIP and 63 strikeouts.

Astros overview
Houston, with a solid 41-30 home record, will rely on their bats and deep lineup to back Arrighetti. Yordan Alvarez continues to power the offense, tallying 31 doubles and 32 home runs on the season. Mauricio Dubon has also been hot, hitting .464 over his last 10 games. The Astros boast the eighth-best on-base percentage in the majors (.321), which will be key against Oakland’s pitching.

Athletics overview
Oakland has struggled on the road this year, going 26-43 away from the Coliseum. Brent Rooker, the A’s top power hitter with 35 home runs, will need to stay hot to give his team a chance. Shea Langeliers has also been productive lately, with three home runs in his last 10 games. The A’s have allowed 58 losses in games where they've given up a home run, a troubling stat heading into a series against Houston’s potent lineup.

Recent form
The Astros are 6-4 over their last 10 games with a 3.31 team ERA, outscoring their opponents by 10 runs. Oakland has gone 4-6 in their last 10, allowing a 4.73 ERA while being outscored by 17 runs during that stretch. Houston leads the season series 7-3, and they'll look to continue their dominance over their division rival as they aim for a strong postseason push.

Betting line
Houston is favored at -187 with the over/under set at 8 1/2 runs, reflecting expectations of a potentially high-scoring game.

astros houston astros mlb spencer arrighetti yordan alvarez

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