I also think we needed better contingency plans when 2 of 5 starters are coming back from serious injury

wehnerhigh20 said:

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I also think we needed better contingency plans when 2 of 5 starters are coming back from serious injury

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Yep. When your plan is solely dependent on guys coming back from serious injuries to become their old selves again that's problematic

Ag_07 said:

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No you're right on that but the organizational depth is also a large factor in this issue.

As soon as one goes down we're dipping into the bottom of the barrel and recalling some scrub who's cleared waivers multiple times.

I don't keep up with teams like I do the Astros but I don't think many teams churn through MiLB arms like we do. Constantly calling and recalling guys not even on the radar patchworking a rotation together with warm bodies.

I get it once 3 guys go down but as soon as HB went down we were in patchwork mode with no named starter his next turn because there is just no one behind him worth a fck.

That's absolutely a Dana problem.

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Once again, continually drafting low and losing draft picks is absolutely going to affect depth. We lost our first and second picks in 2020 and 2021. If we drafted college guys those years, they'd be 26 or 27 years old (aka in their prime). Could we have gotten a good RP and SP from those picks? Nothing is guaranteed but certainly much more likely than a later round pick. Now look at Dana's first draft in 2023, those players, like Matthews, would be 24 and best case just getting their feet wet in the bigs. I will admit that class doesn't look very good but my point is there's only so much a GM with a bad farm system and a bloated payroll can do in a short amount of time, especially if he's hamstrung by the owner in who he can trade and who he can sign in free agency.

You know those jokers in South Oklafornistan are laughing at us.

Again, I say burn it down and stock up on young talent. Maybe keep a couple vets like Altuve and Correa. Everybody else is expendable, IMHO. Is it going to suck for a few years? You bet. We lived through 2013... (51-111 in case anyone forgot) Had one more losing season after that, then caught fire in 2017.

The main issue is that we are not the Doyers or the dam yankees. We don't have the same $$$ that those teams have. 2027 is going to be a wash year anyway, if we even play, and I believe the trade values will go into the toilet next year, again, if we even play. Sell high, and buy low.

For sure and I don't disagree.

That's why it's tough for me to declare Dana a disaster.

Part of me says 'Yeah this is not good and he's clearly failed at his job' but the other part of me says 'He's only working within the bounds he was given'.

For me it's tough and not as clear cut as other see it. But...At the end of the day he's in charge of roster management and drafting and he bears that responsibility.

who came up with the 6-man rotation -- Dana or Espada?

it's been a disaster -- wiping out the bullpen each year

"So we've all heard of a bullpen game, but have you heard of a bullpen season? Hi, I'm Dana Brown with the Houston Astros and I'm here to talk with you about the benefits of anchoring your pitching staff with waiver players."

Chef Elko said:

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"So we've all heard of a bullpen game, but have you heard of a bullpen season? Hi, I'm Dana Brown with the Houston Astros and I'm here to talk with you about the benefits of anchoring your pitching staff with waiver players."

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Team Slogan: Chase the Pen

f1ghtintexasaggie said:

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Hornbeck said:

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The main issue is that we are not the Doyers or the dam yankees. We don't have the same $$$ that those teams have. 2027 is going to be a wash year anyway, if we even play, and I believe the trade values will go into the toilet next year, again, if we even play. Sell high, and buy low.

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While Crane certainly isn't as wealthy as the owners (or ownership groups) of the big fish, I find it hard to believe he cannot open the books more than he has, if he so chose. I think the last part of your post might play a large part in his thinking. See how the waters settle after a new CBA is reached before committing more money than necessary under the old rules. At least I hope that's the case.

If not, and he just wanted to transform into Drayton, I hope he sells the team ASAP. Thx for the memories.

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Seems like Crane likes to make a splash and overspend occasionally every year and let Dana complete the roster with "value" acquisitions.

Jim needs Luhnow back, but that ain't happening.

CharleyKerfeld said:

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Chef Elko said:

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"So we've all heard of a bullpen game, but have you heard of a bullpen season? Hi, I'm Dana Brown with the Houston Astros and I'm here to talk with you about the benefits of anchoring your pitching staff with waiver players."

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Team Slogan: Chase the Pen

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"Chase the outside breaking pitch" is Yainer's personal slogan.

pic.twitter.com/fFNMmPoWbf

— Tony Adams (@adams_at) April 12, 2026

What did Arighetti do to piss off the front office? He's just hanging out in AAA while every arm for us goes down

Marvin said:

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CharleyKerfeld said:

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The Optimistic Astros Bingo Update 4-13-26

Good times on the Bingo card to help you make it through the not-so-swell start to the season.

Feel Good Fact #1: You might not get the Astros win' total right, but neither will anybody else at this pace! The lowest win total we had was 75-79, and the team is on pace to go 61-101.

Feel Good Fact #2: Did you pick Hunter Brown to have an ERA under 3.00? Good news, your square is all but guaranteed because he's currently at 0.84 and he'll probably never pitch again!

Feel Good Fact #3: Did you pick Imai go be <3.50 on the ERA? No worries! He just needs 9 consecutive scoreless innings to get there! Based on his average outing, that will take 3 more starts.

Feel Good Fact #4: Unlike some local baseball squads, your Bingo entry is no more than ONE point out of first place today!

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I'm feeling pretty good about going first-to-last in this Bingo thing. It's my own personal tank job, lol. Do I get the first pick in next year's Bingo draft if I pull it off?

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If we actually do this Astros' game get-together this year, I will personally buy you a large beer.

Seriously, where is Arrighetti?