TEXANS "CULTURE" TAKES ANOTHER HIT
Texans' Brandin Cooks has been traded so many times, and maybe we're starting to understand why
Nov 3, 2022, 2:10 pm
Extending Brandin Cooks clearly looks like a huge mistake. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
Making sense of the extreme Vegas projections for Houston Texans
According to multiple reports, Texans WR Brandin Cooks will not be playing Thursday night against the undefeated Eagles because of, get this, "personal reasons."
Texans’ WR Brandin Cooks will not play tonight vs. the Eagles, per ESPN’s @WerderEdESPN. Cooks has missed practice for what the team has described as personal reasons. He had hoped to be traded to a playoff contender.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 3, 2022
Yeah, you read that correctly. Cooks is upset he didn't get traded and went on social media this week to express his frustration over his situation.
Don’t take a man’s kindness for granted. Covered for the lies for too long those days are done. Crossed the line with playing with my career 🏹
— Brandin Cooks (@brandincooks) November 1, 2022
The guy that was brought in as a great culture fit, is seemingly refusing to play in the Texans' only prime time game of the season because the team couldn't trade him and his massive contract before the deadline. And to go a step further, the Texans' only other legit WR, Nico Collins, is out with an injury. Yeah, great culture guy. The Texans had to get rid of DeAndre Hopkins who was rumored not to be a culture fit and bring in this dude? Plus, all this comes after Cooks defended Jack Easterby in his media session shortly after Easerby was fired. It's pretty easy to read between the lines here.
For years many have wondered, why has Brandin Cooks been traded so many times? I think we're getting our answer. The Saints traded him, so did the Patriots, the Rams too, and he's not even thirty years old. And I firmly believe the Texans would have traded him if it wasn't for his massive salary and cap hit.
It will be interesting to see if the Texans go after his money if he continues to refuse to play. One thing is for sure, GM Nick Caserio's decision to not trade him at the deadline last year, and give him an untradeable contract extension in the offseason looks like a huge mistake. Cooks knew he was signing up for a rebuilding team when he took the money this offseason. Deal with it! Now, things could change in the coming weeks and maybe the Texans get Cooks back in the fold, but it looks bad right now.
Here's to Nick Caserio not handing out any more contracts that make trades nearly impossible once the player decides he doesn't want to be in Houston anymore. Because, unfortunately, players want out of Houston way too often to not expect it to happen again.
As the Houston Astros continue to navigate a season riddled with injuries and inconsistencies, the question looms larger than ever: can they keep their heads above water? With a barrage of pitching injuries threatening to derail their season, the Astros are finding themselves in a position where every decision matters more than ever.
The recent setbacks to the pitching staff (Hayden Wesnieski, Ronel Blanco) have placed even more pressure on the club. Lance McCullers, whose performances have been inconsistent, is now squarely in the spotlight. The Astros will need him to step up and shoulder a larger portion of the load. At the same time, the bullpen, which has been a bright spot so far, must continue its elite play to keep the team afloat. In particular, Houston can't afford to make mistakes in its decision-making, whether in the lineup or on the field.
Take, for example, the decision to give Chas McCormick a second start after his costly mistakes in Game 1 against the Rays. McCormick’s two pick-offs in that game showed he's lacking focus, yet he was given another chance to start Game 2. Houston needs to be making the right calls on the field, and this was a moment where the manager’s trust in McCormick might have been better placed elsewhere, considering his lack of success in the series.
On the offensive side, the Astros’ struggles have been just as apparent. Jose Altuve, a cornerstone of the franchise, has been attempting to bunt while hitting in the 3-hole. It’s a strategy that just doesn’t make sense. With the Astros needing to produce runs, Altuve's role is to drive them in, not waste strikes with ill-timed bunt attempts.
Is Houston's roster poorly constructed or just unlucky?
Given the pitching woes and offensive troubles, some are beginning to question whether the Astros’ roster is poorly constructed, or if it’s simply been an unfortunate series of events. The bad luck with pitching injuries is undeniable, but the offense tells a different story—particularly when it comes to the lineup’s balance.
One glaring issue is the team’s heavy reliance on right-handed hitters. With players like Christian Walker struggling at the plate, it’s hard to overlook the potential misstep in roster construction. Walker’s performance this season has been abysmal, and it’s fair to wonder if the Astros would have been better off investing in a more flexible first-base platoon. Players like Jon Singleton, Victor Caratini, Zach Dezenzo, Yainer Diaz, and even Mauricio Dubon could have filled in at first base, providing much-needed depth at a fraction of the cost. At this point, they couldn’t have done worse than Walker, who has posted a paltry .199 batting average, .270 OBP, and .607 OPS on the season.
In comparison, Walker’s numbers this season are worse than Jose Abreu’s 2023 campaign with Houston (.237 batting avg, .296 OBP, .680 OPS). Walker is a player known for slow starts, but nothing quite as severe as what we’ve seen in 2025. His struggles are reminiscent of a disastrous start to the 2022 season that saw him fail to find his rhythm until much later in the year, but even then, his slugging percentage was significantly better than what we’re seeing now.
Would a return of “career Yordan Alvarez” fix Houston’s offensive woes?
Amid the offensive malaise, the return of a fully healthy Yordan Alvarez could certainly provide a much-needed spark. If Alvarez were to return to his “career” form, with a healthy pitching staff, an intact bullpen, and a potential resurgence from key hitters, the Astros could see a drastic improvement in their fortunes. However, this is all contingent on a lot of “ifs,” and there’s no guarantee that a turnaround is on the horizon.
Observations and further concerns
As if the struggles on offense and pitching weren’t enough, the Astros’ defense has also been plagued by lapses in fundamentals. One of the more puzzling trends this season has been the number of stolen bases allowed, especially at third base. If the Astros continue to give up steals at this rate, it will be difficult for the pitchers to recover, especially if they are walking batters and putting runners in scoring position with alarming frequency.
We have so much more to get to. 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! Note: because of the holiday weekend, our next episode will be after Memorial Day on Tuesday.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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