The Astros Can’t Afford to Stand Pat and Dana Brown Knows It
With FanFest now in the rearview mirror and the Super Bowl still dominating the sports calendar, it’s easy for Houston Astros fans to mentally hit pause before spring training truly begins. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: this roster is not finished, and pretending otherwise risks slamming the Golden Era window shut far sooner than anyone wants to admit.
If the Astros genuinely believe they can make another run at a World Series, Dana Brown has a lot more work to do. And no amount of optimism, prospect hype, or internal faith should change that reality.
Yes, the national conversation has focused almost entirely on Houston’s crowded infield and which piece, Christian Walker or Isaac Paredes, might be moved. That’s fine. It’s a real storyline. But it’s also a convenient distraction from two far more pressing issues that could undermine this team long before October even comes into focus.
The Catcher Situation Is a Problem
Victor Caratini signing with the Minnesota Twins didn’t just create a hole on the roster. It exposed a blind spot.
The Astros can talk all they want about Yainer Díaz being the everyday catcher, and long term, that’s probably the right call. But anyone who watched this team closely last season knows the truth: Caratini carried far more weight than a typical backup catcher should.
He didn’t just fill in, he delivered. He switch-hit. He came up clutch. He stabilized the pitching staff. More often than not, he was the reason the Astros survived injuries and inconsistency without falling out of the AL West race.
Expecting César Salazar to replicate that is wishful thinking at best. This isn’t a knock on Salazar, who is serviceable behind the dish, it’s an acknowledgment of reality. Caratini was a luxury Houston leaned on heavily, and now that safety net is gone.
That makes adding a veteran backup catcher non-negotiable. No, the Astros won’t find another Caratini. But they must find someone Joe Espada can trust to catch meaningful innings, provide competent offense, and step in if Díaz hits a rough stretch or simply needs a breather. Anything less is rolling the dice with a position that quietly mattered far more than fans want to admit.
One Left-Handed Starter Isn’t a Plan, It’s a Risk
Then there’s the rotation, where the lack of left-handed pitching borders on negligence for a team with championship aspirations.
Yes, Houston can go eight or nine deep with starters on paper. But only one of them, Colton Gordon, throws left-handed. That’s not just a minor imbalance. It’s a strategic disadvantage, especially against elite lineups in October.
Gordon was fine. At times, he was even decent. But “fine” is not the standard for a team chasing another American League crown. And relying on him as the lone lefty option is asking for trouble when injuries inevitably hit.
There’s no cavalry coming from the farm system, either. No left-handed starter is knocking on the door ready to provide depth. That means the responsibility lands squarely on Dana Brown to find solutions, preferably plural, not just hope the rotation stays healthy and everything goes “all right.”
Some fans continue to dream about a Framber Valdez reunion on a short-term, high-AAV deal. Don’t hold your breath. That ship has sailed. Valdez will get paid elsewhere, and the Astros were never going to meet that price tag anyway. Brown’s path forward is clear: veteran, plug-and-play left-handers who can stabilize the rotation when chaos strikes.
Trades Aren’t Optional, They’re Necessary
The reality is the Astros no longer have the luxury of relying on their farm system to patch holes. Years of success have depleted that pipeline, and now the only way forward is through calculated, sometimes uncomfortable trades.
Whoever gets moved between Walker and Paredes has to bring back real value, players who can fill multiple needs, not just depth pieces. And if Jake Meyers or Jesús Sánchez are still on the market, those assets must be leveraged to address weaknesses that are glaring to anyone paying attention. You have depth in the outfield and that depth needs to translate into soloutions at other positions of need.
Standing pat isn’t a strategy. It’s surrender by complacency.
Dana Brown still has time, but time is ticking away and you can’t afford to let it run out. The Golden Era doesn’t stay open out of nostalgia, it stays open because tough decisions are made before they become desperate ones. Dana, the ball is in your court, shoot your shots because we all know you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take and you could end up missing the playoffs too.
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