Is it TIME to OFFICIALLY say the golden era of Houston Astros baseball is over??

Is it TIME to OFFICIALLY say the golden era of Houston Astros baseball is over??

Welcome in inside the ice box here on the ESPN Houston YouTube channel and ESPN 975 and 925. Joe George, Sean Mes here with you to talk Astros baseball, which hasn’t been very good as of late. Today’s episode’s brought to you by Blueestar Tequila, the world’s first and only night harvested tequila. You can find it near you at plenty of bars and liquor stores right here in Houston. Just go to blue bluestartila.com, type in Houston in the search bar and you’ll find out everywhere that you can find it. Feel like I need one after a couple of these couple of these night games. Sean, um the Astros have been struggling. It has not been pretty. They are playing some of their worst baseball. Jeremy Pñena has not 100%. He’s not been in the lineup. You’re not getting great pitching performances. You’re even seeing Hunter Brown get touched up a little bit. Um it’s all bad right now for the Astros. And if they have to win three out of four of the remaining games of the season in any particular order, we’ll see. It doesn’t feel like this team’s going to be in the playoffs this year. It feels like this is the the probably the last ice box of the year. Yeah, it it’s less of a insurmountable, you know, winning three out of four and the Tigers lose three out of four. It’s less about like the Tigers or it’s this team does not look like they’re anywhere close to winning three out of four games. And even if they do, what are you expecting in the playoffs? So there is just a air of uh well this word normally gets used in a different context but inevitability with how this Astros season is going to go and it’s not how past Astro seasons have gone I guess except for last year which was two games longer than what it looks like this season will be. Yeah, it doesn’t feel like this team’s going to make the playoffs. I I mean you’ve got an Angel series coming up to where that’s a bad baseball team for the most part. a baseball team that’s never accomplished anything. You’re potentially facing guys like Kyle Hendris in their last career start who throws in like the mid 80s but dominated you the last time you saw him. It doesn’t feel like this team has the the goods this year to to make a run and and there’s I think a a million reasons for that at at this point. There are injuries to play in. I do think ultimately we have to look at things like though of Jose Alt hitting in the the low 190s in the month of September. Um Jesus Sanchez being a total bust since you acquired him at the deadline. Cam Smith not playing up to the way you know he started his career as a member of the Astros. There are the injuries but Jake Meyers and Pñena have taken steps backward since their returns from injuries when they’ve been out there. It’s while the injuries are a factor, I do think collectively, like when I look at this, it’s it’s the lineup and it’s going, you know, before Thursday’s game, you know, one and nine in the last 10 from Revaldo starts. Yeah, it’s I mean, it it’s just an avalanche of everything. There’s not really a thing that they’re doing well. There’s not like a single Even Jason Alexander had a bad start since the last time we spoke. I mean, it just it’s all it’s all coming down. Hunter Brown on Wednesday night was uh one of I mean one of the worst Hunter Brown outings in a while and he got zero run support. He got no runs to uh pick him up. So you know if Hunter Brown’s going to go out there and give up four runs in five innings like you’re lo he lost just every game in this last uh you know month stretch or so you just lose that game every single time. And I I hate doing this cuz I I normally kind of push back against this thing, but this this team doesn’t seem like it has any juice to it whatsoever. Now, normally what I say is, well, no team really looks like they have juice when they’re scoring no runs every night. Yeah. But this especially, I mean, you mentioned Jesus Sanchez and beyond how bad he’s been at the plate, like just the that playing left field was atrocious. The left field stuff is just there’s one there there’s two probably every week. Like there’s one each series with Jesus Sanchez either making a play way harder than it has to be or an outright error or just giving up an extra base like he did on Wednesday night. So it it there’s always something and I think that’s like the encapsulation of this Astros, you know, collapse is that there’s always something every night. There’s always something that goes wrong. Whether it’s an injury, whether it’s poor performance, whether it’s poor performance from bad guys who shouldn’t be playing, where it’s poor performance from good guys that are finally kind of letting go of the rope or like they just can’t keep up the level of production. It’s all just kind of falling apart right now. Yeah. Dallas Braden on Wednesday’s broadcast called them he’s on the A’s color commentary team called them a lifeless baseball team and I I don’t like the word quit because I saw like Michael Schwab saying that like this team has quit at this point. I think lifeless is a better description of it. I I think but I I I see a team that looks lifeless. I see a team that looks defeated by the way that they’re playing that doesn’t have the answers on why things are going the way that they are. I think the injuries have caught up to them and it’s just been it’s shocking still like even though like this season has been a grind to see it unravel in the way that it has is really still surprising and that’s why I don’t think the injuries we’ll get more into it throughout the show why the injuries are are a total pass for me because there’s just so much more that that went into it. So I guess this does feel like officially though that the the golden era of Astros baseball is over. Yeah. Yeah, I mean you could even you can make the case that once the ALCS streak was snapped last season it’s over, but you know you always leave out the you know possib you know the Cowboys won three and four years. So there could be a year where you take a step back but then the the show goes on so to speak and no I mean this is it’s less even about the the results. It’s a lot about the results, but it’s it’s more about the the way they’ve gone out this past week where like they got swept by the Mariners and one of those games was competitive. They come out and they get absolutely boat raced by the Angels or by the Athletics in two game. Like it’s just whether it’s Hunter Brown like okay we need an ace start from Hunter Brown Wednesday night against the Athletics to keep your keep your head above water and you just don’t get it. Nope. You don’t get anything from the bats. You just it there is an a level of you know where in past years you’re like they’ll just they’ll find their way out of it. They’ll have a good bat. They’ll have a good start. someone will, you know, especially the stars will step up and when you need it, you know, Garrick Cole will just have a great start when when you need it. Justin Verlander will have a Lance McCull will throw 20,000 straight curve balls against the Yankees. Like there’s just always a a giant performance when you need it the most. This year, this past two years, you just haven’t gotten it. Yeah. And I think that’s and it the clutch hits have gone away as well. And even moments like the Jake Myers rounding third when the ball had been caught in the Mariners series, which like who knows? Like that’s one of those moments where it feels like if he’s if he just goes back to second base and maybe there’s more pressure on the Mariners in that moment, maybe there’s choke job and it revitalizes the Astros season. That to me is where it felt like the season ended and that is in in that game where it’s like you have a chance and the ball is just caught by Robless and then he gets Myers out and it’s like well that’s Astros baseball like that. That’s what Astros baseball has been. It has just not been you’re you’re not getting the bounces even that you need sometimes in baseball. And you’re and you’re making those mistakes like you’re making the mistakes that Astros teams used to not m make. They they used to capitalize when other teams made those mistakes. And if they did make a mistake, they’re also just so talented that they could overcome it and now they can’t do it. They just look like a normal team that’s falling apart in uh in September. And another reason that it feels like it’s over is that you just look around who’s who’s playing right now and this isn’t the golden era. The the Christian Walker isn’t in the golden era. isn’t a golden era astro. You know the uh Urius not a gold Yer Diaz not really a golden era Astro. No like Pedes the so many new face Jesus Sanchez absolutely not. Definitely not. Like there’s just so many new faces. Drake Myers not really. Like there’s guys that were on the team but they weren’t the guys on those teams that stepped up when you needed them. And you throw that in with the injuries too. a lot of guys that did step up in those moments and you have the natural kind of uh fall or you know decline from a guy like Jose Altuve and and whatever’s going on with Robert Valdez like it’s just all the guys that you need to lean on you can’t right now. Uh so when do you think when would you say it ended? Is it when the ALCS streak ended last year the the twoame loss to the Tigers in the playoffs? like if you had if you can pinpoint a moment for you of when this era of Astros, the golden era kind of ended and it’s a much different, you know, look like it’s not like this franchise is going away. They’re still going to be a very relevant baseball team. We’ll talk about that on the show as well, but like when did like the the golden era you feel like end? I I think I think you could say one of two parts of last season. I I think you could either say the game two performance in the wild card round against the Tigers where you know in game one, hey, Terrick’s doable. He’s just gonna do that to you. Like that that’s one where that’s the other team’s ace. He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball and you just kind of have to eat that result every once in a while. And then on the Oh, no. Go ahead. And you can even go back further and say when they started whatever it was seven and 20 in April, that’s just not something that you do. And that then they dug out of it. But there’s just an air a level of like, you know, a really good baseball team doesn’t play like this for the first month of the season. Yeah. I’m I’m going to give you a specific date. Oh, you ready? Okay. September 15th, 2023. Okay. Athletic headline. Minute Made Park’s batter’s eye undergoing changes after players voiced concerns that to me the excuse making that started in 2023 with the batter’s eye. I look at that as like that’s when things sort of like I’m like like I don’t I don’t love this because I know there was trash cans at one point like who cares not a big deal. everyone had some version of it in 17 18 and then but then you have 19 20 21 22 where like we didn’t hear about a batter’s eye we didn’t hear about this complaints with Minute Made Park and I know it had changed and there was different dynamics and maybe they did make it worse accidentally but like it’s to me like it’s when the excuse making started to get to the point where I felt it was nauseating. I was like this doesn’t feel like Astros baseball to me. I know the 2023 postseason was obviously much more successful than 24 and 25 I don’t think they’re going to be there so it won’t even matter but that’s when I’m like I’m like h I think that’s the moment that I’m going to pinpoint when the golden era ended and then they go out and they lose all the home games in the ALCS like they go out exactly and they specifically do that thing where it show it shows a level in my mind of like uh fragility like mental fragility of you already have it in your head of like, whoa, we can’t hit here because the dumb batter’s eye. Yep. Garcia didn’t have any troubles with that batter’s eye. Cory Seager didn’t have any trouble with that batter’s eye. So, yeah. I I think that’s another valid uh spot. But to me, the reason I don’t go 2023 is just because they were still in a game seven of the ALCS. Like that’s judging on a very hard curve. Yeah. Uh, but I I understand what you’re saying where it’s like that’s where the slide kind of started. Yeah. That’s where like they couldn’t hit at home. Like it’s like that’s really when the problems of like the Astros performance at Minuteade/dyen Park really started to become a thing. It hasn’t really improved much over time since then through the 24 25 season. Like there have been issues at home hitting with runners in scoring position all those different things. It just feels like it’s been a lot of excuse making that and and the injuries are an excuse for sure, but that’s also when it feels like the injuries ramped up is right around that same time where it really started to become a problem where you’re losing these guys for two, three, I mean four years now for Luis Garcia because he’s officially not going to pitch in 2026 for the Astros. Yeah, it’s that also kind of around the same timeline of when like it’s like there’s a lot of injuries and the the Kyle Tucker injury that that lingered on for three months, the Ordon Alvarez one this year that lingered on for a 100 games like there there were just so many I I mean that’s another thing is just the injuries of and the way they handle it just seem to have gotten worse like whether it’s the rate of injuries or how fast they return from those injuries. injuries. Like that’s another spot where you see the slide back into you’re just another organization. Yeah. Um if the Astros miss the playoffs, it’s going to be within, you know, potentially a tiebreaker situation, right? Like you could be tied with the Tigers and miss the playoffs. Prais acknowledge that. And Cam Smith is going to be here for the next six seasons, five seasons if he doesn’t get a contract extension, which I think he will at some point. Do you have any do you think there’s any Kyle Tucker trade regret because I think like it’s hard for me not to look at a player like Kyle Tucker and I know he’s been hurt a lot this year but yeah that’s the other thing but like he got hit in Chicago like would he get hit in the same way in Houston? Like I don’t know but like do you think there’s any like regret of like well maybe we should have kept Kyle Tucker to make the postseason? I I say no. I don’t know about them internally, like if Jim Crane stays up at night about it, but for me it’s like if you’re a Kyle Tucker away for like if if it’s that close to making the playoffs or us saying that the golden era is over like then you get into the playoffs and now you have Kyle Tucker who is bad in the playoffs is bad in the playoff hasn’t had a good series since was it 2021 2022 was a long time ago. So, I I think that’s where you can you can look at that and say, “Hey, you know, just add up the war and and that’s that’s where the extra game or two that you’re going to miss the playoffs come into effect.” But then I to that I say, “Okay, now you’re in the playoffs. Now what?” Yeah. Like the rest of the team’s the same. Yeah. You still don’t and and and that’s where I think there is not like I think there will be some fans who do look at it that way of like if we would have had Coducker, we probably would be a playoff team. Now, I don’t know who’s playing third base for the Astros if Paradis is not here. Yeah, you also probably could have acquired him anyways, honestly, from the Cubs without trading for trading Kyle Tucker. But you have Cam Smith for the future. And I think when you talk about the the window opening back up down the road, which I’m not quite ready to have that conversation just yet, but like Cam Smith is a vital part of of the window reopening, the door, you know, being back open for the Astros to be a World Series contender again. like Cam Smith I think is going to be part of he’s got to be a huge reason for that considering that you did trade K Tucker for him. Um how do you think the team pivots from here? Like what what are you anticipating this off season now from the Ashers organization because it really feels like there’s a million directions that it can go and it’s impossible to predict. But you could have Jim Crane go I’m going to prove the windows always open. He could spend like he’s never spent before. They could tear it down. They could do a Tampa Bay tear down where it’s just a couple pieces, but they keep the nucleus together for the most part, the veteran nucleus, and and bring up prospects and things like that. Where do you think the Astros pivot from here? I would expect something closer to the Tampa Bay model of you’re selling some, you’re you’re buying some, and you’re trying to because that to me that’s what they need. They need just more an influx of, you know, the next generation of Astros, uh, hopeful stars of the next era. And to do that, like, you’re gonna have to build up this farm system a little bit more. That’s, you know, you mentioned Cam Smith, like they needed a Cam Smith. They needed a young a young guy who has promise because that was not coming up through the system otherwise. You know, Zack Cole maybe, but we didn’t know who Zack Cole was last off season. But I I think that that’s something where you need to that is more useful to me than Jim Crane being like, “All right, let me spend more money.” Because when you look at where he’s spent the money the past few off seasons, it is Joseu, it is Raphael Montero, it is Christian Walker. It’s like you said, all the bad. There hasn’t really been one. I mean, Josh hater is like, “Okay, good.” Like, you know, ver how much how much he’s getting paid and what he’s given you, I think that’s a not disaster. That is not bad. What what that signing brought to this team everything else though, pretty bad. Pretty tough tough stuff. So, I actually don’t want them to double down and say, “Let’s bring in more veterans, more I I think you need to have a longer uh outlook on this thing.” Yeah. I think the first thing I’m doing is I’m trading Christian Walker for whatever I can get from the lowest level prospect and having to eat some of the money. Like, I am moving on from him. I’m putting Isach Pis at third base. I mean, at first base, and I’m going Kareah Pñena, uh, Urias or Dubon or maybe even someone else. I kind of like Urias though to be honest with you as the everyday second baseman. It’s not perfect, but I think it’s serviceable. And Paradus at first base. Altuve should be the full-time left fielder or DH next year exclusively. You have Jake Myers in center field. You have Cam Smith in right field. So, I’m moving on from Christian Walker. I’m definitely trading Jesus Sanchez. Get him out of Houston. That’s a brutal trade. I don’t even I don’t even need to trade him. Just get him out. Yeah. I don’t think he will be on the roster next year. So the splash moves I think were like where they pivot. I think it’s Yiner. I think Yiner is the one where like he gets moved this off season and they go in a different direction at the catching position and I think they even though the ABS system is coming in. It’s only two challenges in a game. So like it’s not like it’s going to be super important. But he still has the highest chase rate in all of Major League Baseball this year that has not improved. But I think you can move him, replace him, and get something in return that’s positive for this team in your rotation. Yeah, that that to me is Yanner Diaz. As far as guys that you wouldn’t think are uh I guess up up for sale, I think he is the the most likely or in my eyes the most uh beneficial because he still is young enough to get you something. You know, like Christian Walker, you might not it might not be a full Carlos Korea Minnesota twin cell job that you’re going to have to pull where it it is just like, hey, we’ll take whatever. We’ll take a 27y old and single A. Like, we don’t care. Just get this guy off our team, off our payroll. I don’t think it’s quite that, but you’re not going to find the next, you know, Cam Smith. You’re not going to find a the next big contributor on this team by trading Christian Walker. So you will have to make a decision on whether that is Diaz, you know, Petta. It could be you’re choosing Petta to to trade Petta over Walker. Y it could be uh Yiner Pñena. It could be one of those one of those type of guys. I think Yiner is the one to look at just because the the bar for acceptable catcher play is easier to find than shortstop 100%. Uh, I don’t think they’re going to move on from Hunter Brown this off seasonason regardless of if they make the playoffs and even make a miraculous run, which I don’t think they’re going to do, but at this moment, like all possibilities are still on the table. Actually ruled that out. That is technically possible. The one guy I would trade this off season though, you mentioned him already. Josh her. I think I would trade Josh her this off seasonason. I mean, closers are one of the hottest commodities in baseball. And I think if you put a notice out there at the winter meetings that three years of control for Josh her is available on the market. And I love Josh Hater. This isn’t a anti- Josh Hater. It’s part of also why I love Bri I love Brian Abrau. Like I think Brian Abrau could be the closer for this team next year. And you have it, you know, it fixes some makes some bullpen problems for you. But the Ashes have also shown like they can kind of like the catcher position like they can solve those problems for the most part. They can find leverage guys in other organizations. So Josh her is probably the the big ticket item that I’ve talked myself into of like I think it would make the most sense for the Astros to trade him this off season to help reload their prospects. That’s interesting because I I would I would be looking to move off of Brian Abrau. Okay. more so just because of the amount of work he’s you’ve put on his shoulders. That’s fair. And he I mean this is why he’ll have less value is not just that he’s less established as a closer than Josh her. He also has less control. So to me it is more of a and this is where you have it’s tough to walk the balancing act of want to stay in contention but also I’m looking to sell because yes your better player who’s under more team control will get you more than Brian Abrau but I also think that it’s easier to find the next Brian Abrau than it is the next Josh hater or to make Brian Abrau the next Josh hater. So that that to me is the is the line of like that is such a position of value that I’m more okay trying to figure it out with how are we going to get another eighth inning guy than how are we going to either turn Brian Abrau into a ninth inning guy and still by the way need an eighth inning guy in that scenario then do that. I guess it would really just depend on how good you feel about the offers that you’re getting in return, the package that you can get in return, but just on its face, I am lower on that. And I think if you were to move on from Josh Shader, I think they’re also I think there’s a huge caveat with this. I think you also probably have to be having some Brian Abra contract conversations. Yeah. as well where like if you’re going to make him your closer because of where he’s at with club control, you probably also want to make sure he’s a more secure part of your future in the bullpen as well because you don’t want to be in a scenario where you start to get really good again and we’ve traded away her and Brian Abrau is left in free agency and you’re like, well now we don’t have anything at the back end of the bullpen. We have a huge problem here. So yeah, I think one of those two guys along with Yiner would be the most like logical for me moves this off seasonason where you can find replacements either internally or externally um that could be cheap and more affordable and also get you things in return that can really help this baseball team. So that’s where I would start. I wouldn’t trade Jeremy Pñena. I would still be trying to lock him up long term. Um that would surprise me honestly if they did. Yeah, that the PA move would surprise me. Yeah, I I agree. I agree. I I think either Pena move would surprise me. Actually, him getting locked up or him getting traded would both. I He might be a a uh Alex Bregman George Springer kind of special of hey, we’re just going to ride this out and and uh good luck to your to your next ball club. Uh in the contract they sign you to. Hunter Brown is another one where you you could get a lot for Hunter Brown, but for me, uh, having that guy at the top of your rotation, like there’s just no one that I feel comfortable like having as your opening day starter or you’re, you know, hopefully in the playoffs next year, game one starter that’s coming up that has any track record whatsoever, uh, in this rotation if it’s not Hunter Brown. So, to me, that’s what would keep him on the Astros for me, even though I also think that the contract extension talks for him probably will not go well. Yeah. I mean, if if you were going to trade Hunter Brown, I kind of feel like you have to tear it down, honestly. Yeah. Hunter trading Hunter Brown or Jeremy Pñena, I think that’s the full demolition button. Yeah. Where you’re looking at a roster that is Kareah Paradis. Maybe not. Actually, maybe not Paradis. It’s probably Kareah Walker. It’s the old Gordon. It’s the old guys in Cam Smith in right field. And you’re like I just if you trade Hunter Brown this off season, I like there is no contention for the playoffs next year. You’re not in the position you’re in today without Hunter Brown. Like you’re not replacing that guy. You’re not replacing Jeremy Pñena. Like Kareah could play short. He says he wants to play third base. It’s like could you play Kareah at short and Paradus at third and Walker at first? Yeah, you could. And and that and that can still be a pretty solid infield minus Walker, but like I just don’t think it makes a ton of sense. Like if you’re going to trade one of them, I I really think you have to have like serious conversations about who is safe, who how how far will the trades go? Because at that point to me, the only guys who would really be like locked into this roster would be Altuve. Like I I think even if you if you traded those two guys, I think everyone’s essentially on the table at that point. It should be honest if you’re going to tear it down that way. To me, the only people locked in would be Altuve and the guys that you can’t get anything for. Yes. And that that’s a very depressing outlook on on the 2026 Astros is to go from, you know, the golden era still being alive and well, and hey, 2025 they’re the most injured team in baseball, most injured team of all time by some metrics, and they’re that close to making the playoffs. And now it is uh a redux of Carlos Lee and a bunch of nobodies. Like, welcome back. I I don’t think that’s in the cards because I just I I don’t think that’s quite that’s not quite what Jim Crane’s all about, you know? Like I know he did it once. Yes. But that’s really not what he’s about. He’s not about actually doing that. And I think things would have to be much worse for him to having having to press that button. Yeah. I think I do think the TV stuff like factors in a little bit here, too. They weren’t on TV when he You weren’t on TV and now you own the television network. Like it’s you’re you’re really damaging your wallet. I mean, it’s not just the stadium. It’s the TV. It’s the ticket sales. It’s the jersey sales. Like, it’s it’s all of it. And like I just don’t I I struggle to see Jim Crane. I I I think he would be more likely to spend recklessly for the first time this off seasonason and like go get Dylan CE and go get Kyle Schwarver or something like crazy like that and versus blow it all up and start from scratch again because also like I don’t know if we trust Dana Brown yet to start over. Yeah. Yeah. I think Dana Brown’s done a fine job. He’s definitely has his strengths like the rando bullpin arms. Like he’s he’s got an eye for being able to get, you know, a half season or a season out of guys that you’re investing very little in. But as far as building a baseball team, some of this is just how Jim Crane operates where you don’t know what exactly is a Dana Brown move and what’s a Jim Crane move. Like the Carlos Koreah trade, you know, now looking at looking at things where they stand at the end of the season, it’s like did you have to do the Carlos Korea trade? Like that feels like a a move that a different baseball team did that a move that a team in a different spot should have done as opposed to now when you look at this team like we talk about all these future outcomes. No matter what, you’re going to have to make a move this off seasonason in response to trading for college career. Whether that’s trading uh Christian Walker, whether that’s trading uh Eso Perez, whether it’s trading Jeremy Pñena, like you’re going to have to respond to that move and ultimately you did it just so you could miss the playoffs by one game. And seems like your team is kind of dying on the vine. Yeah, that’s a great way to put it. Um do you think Joe Spa is gonna be the manager next year? I kind of don’t I kind This is really the first time that I’ve thought that Joe spotted his job is actually in peril, which is funny to say because he’s only been the coach for two years. I know. Uh, and but basically since he got off to the terrible start in 2024, he’s been on not the hot seat, but he you’re always at least one week away from having people either tweet or having people call or text the radio show saying they should fire Joe Aspot. Joe Aspot is the problem. It’s been almost his entire tenure that’s been the case where he’s always a bad stretch away from people calling for his job. and now this kind of very thutting failure to your season. I think it’s fair to look at it as maybe they do need a new voice in this clubhouse. I think they’re going to have a new voice in the clubhouse and I don’t think people are going to like it. Oh god. I think I want to let’s think back just to this to the process, right? He was here. Why wasn’t he just handed the job? He wasn’t handed the job. They went through a full interview process like after Dusty. After Dusty. He was here before Dusty, too. But after Dusty, remember who else they talked to and who was being reported? Uh, no. I actually don’t remember. Brad Osmus. That’s my official prediction is that Brad Osmus is going to be the manager of the Houston Astros in 2026. And I told you people aren’t going to like it. They’re not going to like it. But the fact that there was even conversation or reports that the Astros were considering it and at one point for GM as well for Osmus like yeah that would have that’s there’s some kind I rather him be the manager the GM but yeah go on like there’s there’s an infatuation there I think it starts with Bagwell and this you know the inner inner circle the inner circle that doesn’t seem to have as much of an impact anymore but like I think that those guys are going to have a voice again after this season and I think Jeff Bagwell and company are going to tell Jim Crane that Joe Spot is not the guy and Brad Osmus is I I think that he is going to be the manager next year and it will not so it won’t even be a Dana Brown guy like I think it should be like if if they want to move on that’s fine Dana Brown should have control I don’t think it will be a Dana Brown guy I think it will be another it will be a Jim Crane guy you know Brad like really what what managers have to do I know people are still going to hate it yeah people are going to hate it and you saw my reaction to it. It’s like I’m not thrilled, but there is a level of I think people do overreact. That’s why basically until whatever five minutes ago when you asked me if should he be the man, shouldn’t Joe spotted be the manager? I’m just like I everything that’s gone wrong with the Astros, I have a hard time pinning on Joe Spot because so much of what the manager does is just have to manage the clubhouse. like that is he manage you manage the clubhouse more than you manage on the field nowadays as a manager like you have the deployment of the pieces handed to you. You have all like okay in this match up we’re going to go with this bullpin arm. In this matchup we’re go with this bullpin arm. We we have a pitch count limit on this starter. We have whatever look at the splits with this left fielder versus that one. So, a lot of it really is just can you get the team to buy in and and be in a good uh good space morale-wise and just kind of, you know, attitude and and and keep it together. And right now, it doesn’t look like they’re together. It looks like a team that just has again just no fire, no life to it. And I do think that part of it you you can even go back to the Veraldz Cesar Salazar mixup. It kind of feels like that’s where it really unraveled. That’s that to me and it might just be a a comfy narrative to wrap it all up in, but it really does feel like that is the moment where it’s just like the vibe got completely thrown off for this team. And and really that’s what makes judging managers so hard is that on the outside looking in like we can’t know. And then no matter who they hire, we also don’t know if that will work. You know, like I’ I’ve never met Bradus in my life. Maybe maybe he’s a great great manager. He has great people skills. He has great managerial skills. I I just have no idea if that is the fact. Yeah, the Houston Astros I’m looking through this right now to make sure. I have them at two series wins since then. There hasn’t been a ton of series, but they lost that Yankee series when when FBurn and Salazar got crossed up. That was in the middle of that series. They lost the Rangers series. They lost the Blue Jays series. They beat the Braves. They beat the Rangers, then they got swept by the Mariners and they’ve lost the series versus the Athletics. Like they they’ve won like that’s not good and and it just feels with the Spatada the way the season ending is the way the season started last year. Awful start, awful finish. And like that to me is like they’re red flags of just how the team started last year and how the team is finishing this year. It’s like that’s why I do I do think there’s I think there’s be a change. Yeah. And you could make the case of like in in June or July that this would have been ridiculous. Like he was he was in AL manager of the year conversations with the amount of injuries that this team has had to uh endure. But like you said, the the start of 2024 and the finish of this year like to me has nothing to do with the injuries. Like no matter how many injuries you have you have mounting like the lineup that was on the field against the Athletics, the lineup that was on the field against the Mariners, they should produce more runs. Like they absolutely like this just looks like a team that has let go of the rope. Whether it’s from Vervaldez even before the mixup, but especially after the mixup, whether it’s the Hunter Brown start against the Athletics where it just looked like it was just he just didn’t have it. like you just he went out there and just was just blleh the entire time. These these things just can’t happen when you’re in a pennant race or when you’re in a division and now just a wild card race and you every game matters and you’re having performances that are just absolutely noshows. Yeah. Yeah. It’s been it’s been brutal. I mean again what you’re saying like with all the injuries in the pitching staff like it’s the lineup that I feel like has let you down the most this year. Yeah. Like there’s been no one in the lineup that’s been Jason Alexander. No, I mean it was two games of Jesus Sanchez. Yeah. Like and that’s it. Um all right, final thoughts here. Um just in in general, whether it’s a word you want to use or or anything, h how do you how are you feeling about this Astro season? Is it a failure? Is it just disappointing? Is it depression? Like because I think for a lot of Astros fans, it’s the depression category. Yeah, I think I think it’s like it’s like shook because this is the word this is the first time that the again air of inev inevitability has really been shaken like it’s the first time that it’s like whoa they actually like they did what the Mariners normally do like what they you just got a taste of what being a Mariners fan is like and that is in a big spot in a big series coming off a sweep of the Texas Rangers now you get the Mariners is coming to coming to your house and you absolutely crap the bed. Mh. And that is normally the shoe is normally on the other foot. You are the one you’re the one who knocks normally. You’re the you are the danger and now you’re just any other team. And that that kind of air of exceptionalism that you had watching the Astros like there’s no reason to have that in 2026. Yeah. I think at this point it for me it’s just just bummed, you know? It’s That’s another good one. It’s a bummer. It’s a bummer. It’s, you know, um and we might have to do like stages of grief for the Astros like where people are at because I I think everyone’s going to be kind of all over the map. But I’m just I’m just bummed like to see this, Ron. I I told this story on the air the other day. This is the first time that I’ll be doing local sports radio in Houston, which the Houston Astros are potentially not in the playoffs. I’ve been doing local sports radio since 2017 starting in August like right before Harvey and right before they won the World Series and like this is the first time where there’s a chance that we’re going to come in on Monday and it’s going to go they’re not in the playoffs at all. Not even that not even like a twoame sample size like to like dissect and and discuss like what are we going to talk about? But like yeah just it’s just a bummer to see it uh to kind of crash and burn in the way that it has. Yeah. Yeah. Especially because they’re a team that has reinvented itself. You know, the 2022 team was very different than the 2017 team. You know, like there’s a lot of turnover. So, they proved that it wasn’t just like one group of guys that can do this. Like they did it year after year after year. They came through even if they didn’t win the World Series. Like they made it a lot. They it did not, you know, in 2020 they went down 3 0 against the Tampa Bay Rays and forced a game seven. In uh 2023 against the Rangers, they are down late. They’re get uh what Brian Ray is getting tossed and later suspended and you’re down late against Jos L. clerk and uh Jose Altuve hits a home run and in game six and now it feels like a like they always they always went out with a fight. They never just went out sad. Yeah. Yeah. This feels like one of those the first time they’ve gone out sad. Yeah. Yeah. It’s depressing. Uh and and that’s and that’s what I’m not sure was too. Yeah. But like at least like even Yeah. They were redot like on the mound. They had the best pitcher in baseball. Like you could like Okay, listen. It was one game where you just got out aced and then one game where you no-showed. Yeah. This has been three weeks of no-shows with a little by the way, we’re just going to sweep the Rangers. I mean, if you would have told me like this is where the Astros would be in after they swept the Rangers, I think I would have called you stupid, dude. Like it’s like they swept the Rangers like no, they’re going to beat the Mariners and they’re going to win the division. I’ve done Inside the O ice box three times now. Maybe it’s your fault. No, no, no. because one was sad and depressing. The other one was, “Oh, they’re good. They just they just swept the Rangers. They’re good.” And then now it’s back to sad and depressing. Yes. Well, we will end on that note. We might have a show for you next week. This is the Astros uh podcast only, regular season podcast or postseason podcast. So, um this might be the end of the road for for this season of Inside the Ice Box. So, thank you for watching here on the ESPN Houston YouTube channel. Remember, hit that subscribe button. You can catch the radio version of the show at six o’clock on Friday. And we will see what happens. Sean will be with the Del Ole Show from 10 to noon on Monday. Well, actually, you won’t be here on Monday. You’ll be on vacation, dude. Vacation. Okay. Moving. I’ll be moving. What a vacation. But I’ll be with with Jeremy Brandom on Jeremy and Joe from 3 to 6. So, make sure you check us out then. And thanks to our sponsors, Blueest Star Tequila, the world’s first and only night harvested tequila. You can find it near you at bluestarquila.com. Thank you for watching. Talk to you soon.

The Houston Astros season is nearing an end and likely headed to a playoff exit, is the golden era lead by Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa over? How will Dana Brown, Joe Espada and Jim Crane move forward? All that and more on this episode of Inside The Ice Box!

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