The Houston Astros are the closest thing we have in Major League Baseball to a living, breathing dynasty in the 21st century, and in current sports, only the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL and Golden State Warriors in the NBA (although appear to be on the downside of their arc) currently stack up across all sports against our Astros.
That last paragraph feels good to type, and it feels great that spring training games have started over the weekend, new MLB rulebook and all. However, all that recent success and good vibes for this season do not mean that the Astros are perfect. They did make some decisions this past offseason that could come back to bite them once the real games start.
With that in mind, here are five potential “I told ya so’s” that Astros fans and media could have for owner Jim Crane and the decision making brass once the hot summer months get here:
Told you giving Rafael Montero $11 million per year was suspect!
Jim Crane spent a lot of money this offseason, and keeping the bullpen intact appeared to be a huge (and totally logical) priority. Of all the deals the Astros made this offseason, though, the one that was a major head scratcher was the three-year, $34.5 million deal given to Rafael Montero. Last season was Montero’s first season pitching at an elite level, but by the end of the postseason, he was very shaky. Also, overpaying for middle relief is not something it feels like the Astros should HAVE to do, given their ability to develop pitchers. The $11 million per year spent on Montero may feel excessive come this summer.
Told you that you should have paid Justin Verlander!
For the record, I completely understand the Astros not matching the Mets offer of $43 million per year to AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. As legendary as his run in Houston was, Verlander’s age and recent injury history make him a risk. That said, the Astros are now dealing with another arm injury to Lance McCullers, and the rest of the starting pitching staff are all under the age of 30. They are talented and battle tested, but still young. If the Astros are in a dog fight in July for the division, and the starting pitching is holding them back, fans WILL say they should have paid Verlander, especially if Verlander is dominating 2023 like he did 2022.
Told you that you should’ve acquiesced to Kyle Tucker instead of going to arbitration!
This one might actually be a good problem to have. If you recall, the Astros and Tucker were $2.5 million apart on their salary proposals to one another earlier this month. The two sides went to arbitration and the Astros emerged victorious over Tucker. The young All Star outfielder seemed understandably distraught. Now, it appears there is a good chance that Tucker will ride out his early years through to free agency, like George Springer and Carlos Correa. The reason I say this could be a good problem to have is that the only way this becomes an “I told ya so” is if Tucker is having a monster season, which would be quite fun.
Told you rolling with Chas McCormick in centerfield was a bad idea!
The Astros are rolling with All Star level players at nearly every position in their everyday lineup, but one area that remains a concern is centerfield, where it looks like Chas McCormick is going to be the starter. Hey, if you get the Chas from last year’s postseason, then that works just fine. The problem is that McCormick is wildly inconsistent. Hell, he was sent to the minors in June of LAST SEASON. Here’s hoping ol’ Chas continues his ascent to being a solid, everyday MLB outfielder.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
