Astros choose present over past with controversial Wild Card roster decision

The MLB postseason is where the rubber meets the road, a 162-game marathon condensed into a month-long sprint. When one mistake can derail your championship dreams, there's simply no room for sentimentality; it's all hands on deck, and whoever can get the job done in the moment is going to get the nod.

Nowhere is that more evident than with the Houston Astros' Wild Card roster. The main headline is Yordan Alvarez, set to make his return from injury just in time for Game 1 against the Detroit Tigers. But there's also a very notable omission, one who comes with a Hall of Fame resume and plenty of iconic playoff moments in Houston.

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Astros leave Justin Verlander off Wild Card roster in controversial decision

Houston has elected to leave Justin Verlander off its Wild Card roster. It's entirely possible that Verlander could make the cut for the ALDS, ALCS or World Series, where more starters are needed for longer series. But there's also a chance that we've already seen him pitch his last game with the team.

And it's hard to say that it's not the right decision. The Astros are set to throw some combination of Framber Valdez, Yusei Kikuchi and Hunter Brown over the next two or three days, all of whom have pitched substantially better than Verlander of late. The three-time Cy Young Award winner's legacy is secure, but he's looked like a shell of himself down the stretch, pitching to an ugly 8.10 ERA over seven second-half starts.

Verlander would be the first to admit that past greatness should have no bearing on current opportunity, and there's simply no way that the Astros can trust him in a best-of-three series given how he's pitched recently. Still, it remains a shocking decision, and one that could come in for some second-guessing should Brown or Ronel Blanco throw up a clunker against Detroit. And with Alex Bregman likely headed for the exit in free agency, it's another reminder that this playoff run is the end of an era in Houston.