As we get older, the seasons seem to fly by, and the off seasons in sports fly by even faster. It feels like it was just yesterday that the Astros sputtered (by their standards) across the finish line of the 2025 season, their first outside the postseason since 2016. 

Injuries had a lot to do with the Astros’ missing out on the playoffs last year, and it would appear that avoiding injuries, as opposed to augmenting the talent level on the roster, will be the strategy for 2026. In the sum total of the Astros’ offseason moves, it would appear that the talent level is about the same as it was in 2025.

The grandest hope regarding moves made this offseason is that the trade for starting pitcher Mike Burrows from the Pirates, and the signing of Japanese legend Tatsuya Imai, can somehow offset the likely departure of Framber Valdez, who has yet to sign with a new team. 

All of that said, barring any trades in the next several weeks (which is always a possibility), most of the roster is fairly well set. Chandler Rome of The Athletic actually took a stab at what Opening Day 26-man roster would look like. It’s a good piece, and if he is accurate, I have three concerns heading into spring training:

3. The bottom of the lineup is forecasted to be the team’s three starting outfielders

Typically, even bad teams have an outfielder that finds either the upper or middle third of any MLB batting order. Not these Astros, though, who are rolling into the season, at least in Rome’s eyes, with an outfield of Cam Smith batting 7th, Zach Cole batting 8th, and Jake Meyers batting 9th. The “glass half full” part of me hopes that Smith recaptures some of the midseason magic he had last season, Cole’s big moments in September are something real, and Meyers’ best pro season in 2025 is the beginning of a trend. Not all of these will come true. 

2. Cesar Salazar is the backup catcher

We’ve spent plenty of time lamenting Framber Valdez’s likely signing elsewhere, but the one next on the list of painful departures is backup catcher Victor Caratini, who signed with the Twins. Caratini is a capable hitter, who can provide some punch from the left hand side of the plate. He can also play first base. Salazar is barely a big league hitter, with his .606 OPS from last year, and is probably best known for being on the wrong end of a Valdez intentional cross up pitch.

1. The back end of the rotation includes Lance McCullers

The plan for the Astros appears to be a six man starting rotation, at least to begin the year. Four of those spots seem etched in stone, barring injury. Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Mike Burrows, and Tatsuya Imai will be the front four. After that, there is no shortage of candidates. However, Rome has McCullers as the fifth starter, which feels like a reach considering he finished last season as a mop up reliever, sporting a 6.51 ERA. 

This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.

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