Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Rockets are an organization in a bit of turmoil right now. They've tried and failed the last few years to defeat the Warriors. The trade for Chris Paul and experiment of pairing him with James Harden appears to have fallen apart given the rumors of tension between the two. General manager Daryl Morey has been dangling every player that doesn't wear a number 13 jersey in the trade market. He also did a press tour to downplay the CP3/Harden alleged beef. Couple that with the fact that the Rockets are known for sending reports to the league on their losses and complaining when things don't go their way
They lived up to said reputation after Harden came in second to Giannis Antetokounmpo for league MVP this year.The team's verified Twitter account sent a tweet expressing their disappointment with Harden not winning. It amounted to reasons why Harden should've won instead of The Greek Freak. This was yet another chapter in why people think the Rockets are the annoying little brother of the NBA. It got me to thinking: what if the Rockets were a person and handled real life situations the way they handle rejection? Here's what I came up with:
A cheating partner/spouse
Look, I'm not even that mad. Over the year we've been together, you've gained too much weight, your cooking is terrible now, and you're about as clean as pig sty. Besides, I've been in talks with several other suitors to trade you in for the 2020 version and a future first rounder.
Getting exposed after sliding into Tim Donaghy's DMs
I never slid into Donaghy's DMs! This is ridiculous! I was clearly hacked. I would never DM someone like this! (sees screenshots of the DMs) This is Adam Silver's fault. Had he simply reversed the decision of the game after we submitted evidence of impropriety, we wouldn't have been this desperate to allegedly DM Donaghy. I only did so as a fact-finding mission to get his thoughts on officiating after our unfortunate game 7 loos to the Warriors in the 2018 Western Conference Finals because there's clearly an agenda in favor of the Warriors.
Getting a disconnect notice for the electric bill
Guys, can you work with me here? I'm trying to deal with the mortgage, home insurance, several car payments, and all the other bills. I tell you what, I'll give you half of the bill now and 10% of the remaining balance every other month over the course of ten months along with the bill due each month.
Car shopping
I see the sticker price and I know the deal you said you can give me as far as a discount is concerned. What I want to know is are you willing to take this 1978 Datsun pickup, the 1966 Mustang, $300 dollars, and a monthly payment of $124.62 for 120 months for this 2019 sports car? With some work on the rust spots, a new interior, new seats, and a new engine, the pickup and Mustang will be worth more because they're classics! I'm giving you a steal of a deal here!
As you can see, I think the way this organization handles things is a complete joke. From the way they make excuses for screwups, to the way they coddle players, even the way they go about making trades. The Rockets are like the entitled kid who grew up privileged and believes they should always get their way no matter what. They feel as though they're the smartest person in every room (Morey) and can out-think any and everyone. That is until they've backed themselves into a corner (Chris Paul and Clint Capela contracts) and can't find a way out. The constant excuse making, placing blame, and crying over spilled milk has gotten really old. It's time for them to put on their big boy underwear and get to work. Accept your successes and failures with the same energy. Some things you won't be able to change, and the things you can, do so positively. Here's to hoping the Rockets will grow up and finally act their age instead of pissing the bed and blaming their parents.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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