Have Houston Astros Done Enough To Continue Contending in American League?

Will the Houston Astros factor into the contention mix in the American League this upcoming season?

Jul 31, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; (from L-to-R) Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña (3), second baseman Jose Altuve (27) and left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) congratulate each other following the final out against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at Minute Maid Park. / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The 2024 MLB offseason has featured some major changes being made by the Houston Astros with their roster.

Watching homegrown talent walk out the door isn’t foreign to the franchise. They saw outfielder George Springer and shortstop Carlos Correa both do it in the midst of their seven-year dynasty, and this winter, they are likely going to say goodbye to third baseman Alex Bregman as well.

They also shockingly took the initiative to cash in on the value of one of those homegrown stars, trading right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs as he enters his last season of team control.

With future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander also looking like he will be on the move, that is a lot of the core pieces who have helped the team find success over the last eight campaigns leaving the franchise.

Yusei Kikuchi, who was stellar after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the deadline, also left in free agency when he signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

That is a lot of talent to lose in one offseason, but at least they have done a solid job plugging some of the holes.

Isaac Paredes, acquired as part of the return package for Tucker, should slide right into Bregman’s spot at third base. His hitting profile should play incredibly well in Houston with the Crawford Boxes in left field.

Hayden Wesneski, also acquired from the Cubs, offers some versatility for the pitching staff. He will be a starter out of the gate but has experience as a reliever as well.

Alas, it is fair to wonder if the organization has done enough to compensate for all of the talent that has been lost, which is why Brent Maguire of MLB.com has placed the Astros on his list of teams with work to do ahead of Spring Training.

“Without the Astros' usual star power, there’s a lot more emphasis on Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve remaining their excellent selves to mask a lineup with depth issues and more rotation uncertainty than we’re used to with Houston. It’d be naïve to count the Astros out -- they could very well take a winnable AL West division -- but making more moves would help ensure they keep their window open for at least another year.”

There are certainly legitimate questions about Houston’s stranglehold on the AL West continuing in 2025.

The Texas Rangers had a brutal 2024 after winning the World Series in 2023 and are poised to bounce back. The Athletics and Angels have both been spending money looking to improve the product on the field.

A double-digit lead in the division was built by the Seattle Mariners early this past campaign, but their offensive woes sent them crashing back to Earth.

If they flip some of their incredible pitching to bolster the lineup, they are more formidable as well.

Houston won’t see the bottom fall out in 2025, as they have done enough to stay afloat. But, there are certainly some chinks in the armor beginning to show.