For the first time since 2016, the Houston Astros did not win a playoff game, and general manager Dana Brown is not happy about it.
A day after the Astros were eliminated by the Detroit Tigers in their AL Wild Card Series, ending a run of seven consecutive trips to the AL Championship Series, Brown explained what he sees as the main goal for the offseason.
“First of all, one of the things we want to make sure we do is get back deep into the postseason,” he said Thursday. “That’s going to be our vision, that’s going to be our focus.”
Regarding this aim, “we’re not taking anything off the table,” he added. The Astros, who won the World Series in 2017 and 2022, appeared to be at risk of missing the playoffs early in the season.
They started with a 7-19 record, putting them 10 games behind Seattle in the AL West. However, they turned things around and finished with an 88-73 record, capturing their seventh division title in eight years, with the only exception being the shortened season in 2020.
Manager Joe Espada, who took over after Dusty Baker retired, praised Houston’s ability to bounce back this season.
“A team gets tested and you see the character of your team,” he said. “Through adversity and the way we were tested early, I knew that this team was strong enough to make a push and get us into the postseason.”
Now, they are looking to get back to the playoffs and have another deep run next year. A key step could be re-signing star third baseman Alex Bregman. Represented by Scott Boras, the two-time All-Star is eligible for free agency and will likely demand a significant new contract.
Bregman has played his entire nine-year career with Houston. After the loss to Detroit, he expressed his desire to stay with the team. Second baseman Jose Altuve said he would be “heartbroken” if Bregman decided to go elsewhere.
“We will have some discussions with Boras and also with Bregman,” Brown said. “We’ve had some small talk, but we will have some discussions. We know what he means to this organization.”
Houston may also look to improve at first base. José Abreu was released with $20.8 million left on his contract after struggling with a .124 batting average until June 13, and the Astros could not find a reliable replacement for the position.
When asked if he would try to strengthen the pitching rotation, Brown repeated that “nothing is off the table.” However, he feels the Astros are in a good position because of how much their young pitchers have improved this season.
Injuries to Houston’s starting pitchers forced the team to bring in Ronel Blanco and rookie Spencer Arrighetti. Blanco threw a no-hitter in his first game and finished with 13 wins and a 2.80 ERA. Arrighetti made 28 starts and was named AL Rookie of the Month for August after going 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA.
Hunter Brown, in his second year in the MLB, went 11-9 with a 3.49 ERA, helping stabilize the rotation during a season when three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander only made 17 starts due to injuries.
Dana Brown mentioned Thursday that right-hander Cristian Javier, who had Tommy John surgery in June, is recovering well and they expect him to be ready to pitch by the end of July.
Brown called Javier a “pillar” of the rotation after he started 56 games combined in the last two seasons before this year’s injury limited him to just seven starts.
With the growth of Houston’s young pitchers and the expected return of Javier, José Urquidy, and Luis Garcia next season, it seems unlikely that the Astros will re-sign Verlander or veteran left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.
Verlander, now 41 years old, is likely headed for free agency after not reaching the 140 innings needed to trigger a $35 million player option on his contract. He did not make the playoff roster after struggling upon his return from a two-month injury absence due to a neck issue.
“Justin Verlander has been outstanding in this organization and is a big part of the winning culture in this organization and it sounds like he wants to come back,” Brown said.
“But we’re going to have some discussions with our front office and coach Joe and his staff as to what’s the best thing for the team and how should we go forward.”
He gave a similar response when asked about Kikuchi’s future with the team. Kikuchi is also eligible for free agency after performing well for the Astros after being traded from Toronto in July.
