From 2015 to 2025 the Houston Astros reached the postseason nine times, won seven American League West titles, captured two World Series and appeared in two additional Fall Classics, according to the report. The club has also twice lost a Game 7 in the ALCS and, over that span, won more games than any team except the Los Angeles Dodgers. The decade of success came even after the franchise’s sign-stealing scandal.
Recent results have been stark. An oblique strain landed Jose Altuve on the injured list and a loss on Wednesday dropped Houston to 20-31, its deepest mark below .500 since the end of 2014. The Astros are tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the second-most runs allowed in the majors, and only the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies have worse records, according to the report. If the losing continues, the front office faces a decision at the trade deadline: stay the course, undertake a soft rebuild or tear the roster down to the studs.
One path is to keep the current core intact under the belief the club has been snakebitten. Last season’s key injury was Yordan Alvarez, who missed more than 100 games and the report argued a healthy Alvarez likely would have produced a playoff berth and possibly another division title; Houston finished three games behind Seattle. This year began with closer Josh Hader on the injured list; he has since made five rehab appearances. Other recent injuries have included Hunter Brown after two starts, Cristian Javier after three starts, shortstop Jeremy Peña for more than a month and Carlos Correa for the season after a torn tendon in his left ankle.
Mike Burrows has been the only starting pitcher not to miss a turn and has a 5.72 ERA, the report noted. The story points out that the listed players are under contract beyond 2026, which provides the rationale for carrying the roster into 2027. The report also noted positives on the immediate horizon: Peña is back, Brown was expected to begin a rehab assignment this weekend, Hader has made rehab appearances and Ronel Blanco could return to the rotation after the All-Star break.
The piece cautioned about the risks of repeating history, using the 2012-13 Philadelphia Phillies as a case study. After five consecutive NL East titles and a 102-win season in 2011, the Phillies fell to .500 in 2012 amid key injuries and age-related decline. They ran it back in 2013 and finished 73-89 as the roster and farm system showed limits, the report said.
