Houston Astros: What’s on their post-lockout to-do list
By Eric Treuden
Year in and year out, the Houston Astros are to be viewed as legitimate World Series contenders. Last season proved to be the same story, as they marched their way to a first-place finish in the American League West for the fourth time in the last five years. However, the Astros were unable to land manager Dusty Baker his first championship ring, as they lost in six games against the Atlanta Braves in the 2021 Fall Classic.
One name for the Astros faithful to look out for is Justin Verlander. Verlander, set to turn 39 in a month, is coming off of his first career Tommy John surgery, undergoing the procedure in February of last year. After missing the entirety of 2021, he should return to the rotation and instantaneously earn the “staff ace” label, regardless of the fact that he’s closing in on the age of 40.
2022 looks to be an interesting year for the Astros, as they are set to lose star shortstop Carlos Correa in free agency, as well as starter Zack Greinke and bullpen arms Kendall Graveman, Brooks Raley, and Joe Smith.
The starting rotation could be labeled as a position that needs an upgrade after losing Greinke, but the Astros are undoubtedly hoping that the return of Verlander will soften the blow of Greinke’s departure. Lance McCullers, Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, and Jose Urquidy are returning members of the rotation, most likely pushing Jake Odorizzi to a long-relief option.
The Houston Astros are one of MLB’s more complete teams. They have some areas to address on their big league roster but, fortunately for them, there’s much less work to do for them than most other teams.