Houston Benched for Now, But the Dynasty Isn’t Done Yet

Yes, My Astros Face A Uncertain Offseason After First Playoff Miss Since 2016 But I'm Not Worried, Will Be Baaaak!

HOUSTON — Instead of preparing for October baseball, Astros manager Joe Espada and general manager Dana Brown found themselves defending their futures and reflecting on a lost season.

“I am the GM of the Astros,” Brown said Monday, reaffirming his role and Espada’s status as manager. “Joe is under contract.”

For the first time since 2016, Houston missed the postseason, ending a dominant stretch that included seven straight ALCS appearances, four pennants, and World Series titles in 2017 and 2022. Injuries were a major factor this year. Star slugger Yordan Alvarez was limited to 48 games with hand and ankle issues, while Isaac Paredes missed two months with a hamstring injury. The losses of Alex Bregman (to Boston) and Kyle Tucker (to the Cubs) also left major holes in the lineup.

2017 Major League Baseball World Series Game Seven: Houston Astros v. Los Angeles Dodgers — Source: Alex Trautwig / Getty

“When you take pillars out of your lineup, it’s gonna affect your team,” Brown said. “The absence of Yordan really affected us big-time.”

The pitching staff also suffered. Ronel Blanco underwent Tommy John surgery, Spencer Arrighetti broke his thumb, and closer Josh Hader missed the final two months with a shoulder injury.

Despite those setbacks, Houston stayed in the AL West race until late September. A crucial sweep by Seattle and subsequent losses to Oakland and Los Angeles sealed their fate, eliminating them on the season’s penultimate day.

“This puts a chip on our shoulders,” Espada said. “We’re built for October, and we’ll learn from this.”

Brown vowed the Astros will seek rotation upgrades this winter, possibly re-signing Framber Valdez, and said confidently, “If we stay healthy, we’ll be back in the dance next October.”