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Houston Astros covering the bases: Deadline needs, potential stars and a disrupted rotation

Theo

The Houston Astros lost two pitchers for the season but picked up a series win over the St. Louis Cardinals to start a critical month.

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Power Rankings: Houston Astros are No. 14

In this week’s Power Rankings, we look at the league’s potential first-time All-Star candidates. (Recording Tuesday)

Registration: 27-34
Latest power ranking: T-12

First-time All-Star candidate: SS Jeremy Pena

If you believe the nerd numbers, Peña’s defense is falling apart a bit. Nerd numbers also love Peña’s overall value, and they always have. He’s still one of the most underrated players in the league, especially when he’s hitting .300 or close to it.

It’s a tough time to be an American League All-Star at shortstop, though, with Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr. and Anthony Volpe all off to terrific starts through 2024. The Rangers n They don’t have a ton of obvious All-Stars at the moment (see blurb above), and they might need Corey Seager to be their representative. The odds are against Peña. He’ll get there one of these seasons, but it’s going to take a lot of Junes to make 2024 the year. — Grant Brisbee

Latest successes

ICYMI, our national writers have given their thoughts on what they’re hearing and seeing

Jim Bowden on the Astros’ deadline needs

On Monday, our former resident GM organized the 30 teams into levels of business deadlines: buyers, sellers, and those in between. He assigned the Astros to the buyers.

The Astros have been the most disappointing team in MLB and their seven-year playoff streak is in jeopardy. But I still believe in this team, as long as they can figure out the starting pitching. The Astros lineup remains strong with a solid core of Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. This is still an above average defensive team. However, first baseman José Abreu, recently returned after a demotion to the minors, is in serious decline, and their other first baseman, Jon Singleton, is shaping up to be more of a role player. Josh Hader converted eight of nine save chances and settled in after a rough start. Starting pitching has been the main issue as the trio of Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti and JP France have combined to go 4-13 with an ERA north of 6.35. Remove those departures and the Astros would be at or near the top of the division. Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander and Ronel Blanco have been solid, but injuries to Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. and José Urquidy have taken their toll and there is no promise as to when any of between them will be back.

Early Trading Deadline Needs: The Astros are targeting a good starting pitcher, first baseman and reliever. This year, they’re going to have to fight their way into the playoffs, especially in the starting pitching department.

Early MLB All-Star Game Picks

With voting opening Wednesday, Bowden took his first look at the American League All-Star team. He projects that three Astros will be retained, including two as starters.

Second base

José Altuve (holder)
(1.6 WAR, 9 HR, 35 R, 8 SB, 127 OPS+)

Altuve has hit .291/.343/.446 and leads all AL second basemen in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He remains the face of the Astros franchise and solidified that position in February, when he signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension through 2029. Altuve will become a nine-time All-Star if selected This year.


Jose Altuve has looked like a nine-time All-Star this season. (Troy Taormina / USA today)

Right field

Kyle Tucker
(3.6 WAR, 19 HR, 40 RBI, 179 OPS+)

I had a hard time choosing between Juan Soto and Tucker for the starting right fielder, and the way I would prefer to solve the problem would be to start them both in the corners of the outfield, with Tucker at right and Soto at LEFT. You could argue that Tucker should start over Soto because he’s a better defender, leads Soto in home runs and has 10 stolen bases in as many attempts. However, I chose Soto because of the tremendous impact he had on the Yankees.

Designated hitter

Yordan Álvarez (starter)
(1.9 WAR, 12 HR, 28 RBI, 145 OPS+)

Alvarez got hot after a cold start to the season and increased his OPS to .856. He has 12 home runs and 28 RBIs. He may not have the best numbers to date, but his career success leads me to believe that by the All-Star break he will be the AL designated hitter leader in most categories .

Viral moment of the week

Starting in his sixth different position of the season, reigning American League Gold Glover utilityman Mauricio Dubón showed off his prowess.

baseball beat

Our beatwriter Chandler Rome has selected what you need to know

The arms take a hit

José Urquidy and Cristian Javier undergo elbow surgery, reducing a rotation that cannot absorb any further injury.

After that ?

Four thoughts on the future of Houston’s pitching staff following Javier and Urquidy’s surgeries.


Cristian Javier is now sidelined until July 2025 at the earliest. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)

Necessary breakthroughs

The importance of Spencer Arrighetti and Hunter Brown is heightened without Urquidy and Javier. The two young right-handers are making breakthroughs.

Double down

General manager Dana Brown reiterated his comments from last month, reiterating: “I don’t see any scenario where we would be sellers” at the trade deadline.

Best bruised hitter

Kyle Tucker took a nasty foul ball to his shin on Tuesday and his status is in question for the weekend.

Bad pitch, less luck

Fitter Ryan Pressly’s ERA is over 5 and his WHIP is just over 1.5. Why some bad luck may be to blame.

Did you catch this?

Dana Brown’s insistence that he’ll shop at the trade deadline isn’t surprising: What else will he say publicly? — but his team needs to take advantage of a flexible schedule this month to make it more realistic.

Before Monday’s game, FanGraphs gave Houston just a 19.9 percent chance of winning the American League West, but with a 34.1 percent chance of sneaking into the expanded playoffs. Six American League teams had better playoff chances than the Astros. Only six teams qualify.

“I’ve seen teams lose their lead by five to seven games in September. In Atlanta, when we won the World Series, we didn’t get to .500 until the 100th game,” Brown said. “I don’t foresee us being sellers at all. We’re going to grind it. I think we’ll be back to .500 before people know it and we’ll be back in contention.

It has to start this month, perhaps the easiest Houston has faced all season. Seventeen of its games in June will be against teams listed Monday below .500. Nine will face the Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox, three of the worst clubs in the sport. Five days off during the month should also provide enough respite from fatigue.

Whether Brown admits it publicly or not, how his club plays this month may determine how drastically he will act at the trade deadline.


Dana Brown insists his team will be a buyer at the trade deadline. (Matt York/Associated Press)

Owner Jim Crane has long been reluctant to sell – and his influence in that decision-making cannot be overlooked – but a poor June leaves little choice but to consider it. Houston has a barren farm system that it can restock by making Alex Bregman, Framber Valdez, Kyle Tucker, Ryan Pressly or Justin Verlander available to contending teams.

“We would really have to collapse to make that happen,” Brown said when asked if he should consider selling if the team can’t get back to .500 before the deadline.

“The throw should struggle. Hitters should struggle. If there’s any sign of hope, I don’t see us doing it,” Brown said of a team that started Monday 5-13 in one-point games.

“Right now, even when you lose and the players are still playing well and you lose one-point games, two-point games, at some point you feel like the situation is going to get worse. reverse. I don’t think there is a scenario where we become sellers. The team is so good.

Field notes

And now a quick word from the comments section.

Craig is right. The Astros lost two World Series to teams that felt left for dead – the 2019 Washington Nationals who started 19-31 and the 2021 Atlanta Braves, who didn’t reach .500 until August 5. Dana Brown witnessed this entire Atlanta race. as the club’s director of recruitment, which may have influenced some of his recent comments.

(Top photo by José Urquidy: Hector Vivas / Getty Images)

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