A brutal series-opening loss to the Seattle Mariners on Monday night dropped the Houston Astros to 4-6 on the season. It's way too early to panic, but the early returns on Dana Brown's reshuffled roster are grim. The Astros are feeling the ill-effects of their salary cuts.
Alex Bregman left as a free agent. Kyle Tucker was dealt to Chicago. Generally, when a team axes two of its four best hitters, the offense suffers. The Astros made additions elsewhere, as Christian Walker, Isaac Paredes and top prospect Cam Smith were meant to keep the lineup afloat in the present and future, but it's hard to look at what Bregman and Tucker are accomplishing in new uniforms and feel great about the state of Houston baseball.
The current MLB hit leader as of April 8 is Tucker with 17. Bregman has 16, tied for second. The Astros, meanwhile, have exactly one regular with an OPS above .700: Jose Altuve.
Both Paredes and Smith are on the struggle bus. This shouldn't come as a huge shock given how disappointing Paredes was in his brief stint with the Cubs. Smith, meanwhile, is a 22-year-old with 31 Minor-League games under his belt. That lack of experience was always going to mean a steep learning curve at the highest level of professional baseball. Both are young enough to turn it around and provide significant value to the Astros down the road, but Houston isn't necessarily in a position to be patient. Especially not Altuve.
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Astros' reworked offense is not slugging, and it could lead Jose Altuve to re-thinking his commitments
Altuve has gone above and beyond for Houston early in the campaign. He's practically carrying the offense on his own, batting .357 with a .971 OPS and three home runs through 10 games. More than his slugging, Altuve has also been willing to do whatever it takes on the positional front, embracing a move to left field despite his share of embarrassing but teachable moments.
For all that Altuve has sacrificed and supplied on the field, the Astros have rewarded the former MVP and two-time World Series champ with ... what, a Wild Card contender? This roster just feels half-baked. Last season was a step back under first-time manager Joe Espada. Again, it's early, but Houston is threatening a more comprehensive collapse in 2025. Something has to change, and fast.
Houston has generally been willing to spend on its roster over this last decade, but as their AL dominance wavers, it's clear the front office (and ownership above them) does not feel as comfortable keeping all of Houston's proverbial mouths fed. Altuve and Yordan Alvarez got their big extensions. Josh Hader became the highest-paid reliever in baseball. And, as a result, the Astros didn't want to pay Tucker and balked at Bregman's lofty demands.
Altuve is under contract through 2029, so a trade seems unlikely. The Astros will try to get back on track and mount a serious run in a winnable division. That said, it wouldn't be shocking if Altuve gets a bit antsy. He has given everything and then some to Houston, but this team is trending in the wrong direction and Altuve only has so many prime years left at 34. From a trade perspective, his five-year, $125 million contract feels awfully affordable by today's bloated standards. So Houston shouldn't have much trouble finding a taker if things continue to spiral.