The only two players to be involved in every single one Houston's seven consecutive journeys to the ALCS, Bregman and Altuve, are the last players on this roster you could ever fathom wearing another uniform. How realistic are extensions for José Altuve and/or Alex Bregman ? With a rejuvenated rivalry with the Rangers in full force and a crowded AL playoff picture beyond that, the pressure is on Brown to supplement this roster sufficiently to compete for not just another division title but World Series appearance and championship. Their ultimate spending power will be dictated by ownership, of course, but it's Brown's job to determine which parts of the roster are most ripe for improvement. What does that look like, though? Is it trading further from a relatively weak farm system à la the Justin Verlander deal this past summer? Will Brown pursue big-name free agents? The Astros haven't been nearly as aggressive at the top of the market as Texas recently, but it's not like they've been pinching pennies either. After a full season at the helm taking stock in the roster and organizational depth, Brown now has a full offseason of opportunity to make decisions and pursue transactions that fit his broader vision for the Astros. Brown wasn't hired until late January, by which point the bulk of Houston's offseason business had already been handled. Recall that the Astros spent the bulk of last winter without a traditional exec heading their front office, having parted ways with GM James Click shortly after raising the 2022 World Series trophy.

What kind of general manager is Dana Brown? Here are the five biggest questions for the Astros this winter:ġ. But there is work to do, and the competition is fiercer than ever.

That's not to say Houston's roster, even as currently constituted, still doesn't stack up well. The champion Texas Rangers have surged right up alongside the Astros - if not clear on past them - in the divisional hierarchy. As a result, they entered this offseason in unfamiliar territory in that for the first time in this era of Astros excellence, Houston no longer stands out as the obvious default favorite in the AL West. The Houston Astros, who have made trips to the ALCS an annual tradition for the better part of a decade, are not most franchises.įor them, losing before the World Series this past October - to their in-state rivals, no less - was an especially tough pill to swallow.

Reaching Game 7 of the League Championship Series would be considered a smashing success of a season for most franchises.

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