After missing the playoffs for the first time in a long time, the offseason hasn’t been the needle-moving one that many fans were hoping for. Losing Framber Valdez in free agency is likely going to happen, and replacing him in the rotation behind Hunter Brown isn’t going to be easy with free agents Dylan Cease and Michael King already off the board.
There have been a couple of moves made by general manager Dana Brown, but as far as finding his biggest in the rotation, it hasn’t been done yet. Just what direction the Astros are going to go this offseason, but Chad Jennings from The Athletic (subscription required) has them in a tier that is rather fitting for what has happened so far.
The Athletic Lists Houston in Potentially Threading the Needle Tier
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Jennings dropped Houston in the third tier of teams, threading the needle, which feels like what Dana Brown is doing. He has not signed any big free agents, and he still hasn’t traded Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker, both of whom would have interest from teams.
“After previously swapping one utility man for another and signing a couple of low-cost depth starters, the Astros made a more meaningful addition last week when they gave up prospects to get starter Mike Burrow from the Pirates. With Yordan Alvarez at DH and Carlos Correa at third base, though, the Astros seem likely to trade either Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker as they work within payroll restrictions to try to stay postseason relevant,” Jennings wrote.
The questionable move by Dana Brown was made last week when he traded two of his top prospects, outfielder Jacob Melton and right-handed pitcher Anderson Brito, to acquire Mike Burrows for the rotation. That’s an awful lot to give up for a pitcher who projects as a middle to backend of the rotation starter.
With the lack of moves to date that are going to move the needle in terms of improving the roster for the 2026 season, it feels like trading Paredes or Walker and getting maximum in return is the route that Dana Brown will take in filling in gaps on the roster. Neither is likely to bring back the No. 2 pitcher needed in the front of the rotation that the Astros need.
The good news for Houston right now is that aside from the Seattle Mariners, the rest of the division has yet to make any significant moves to move ahead of them. There is still time to add, but Dana Brown may have to get creative to do so.
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