State of AL West: Houston Astros

The Houston Astros won the World Series in 2022, and they look like a team that can do it again in 2023.

Major League Baseball is dark the final week of the year, but Inside the Rangers has updates on each of the Texas Rangers’ American League West rivals entering 2023.

Houston Astros

2022 Record: 106-56, first place, AL West; beat Seattle Mariners in AL Division Series; beat new York Yankees in AL Championship Series; beat Philadelphia Phillies in World Series

Manager: Dusty Baker (2,093-1,790, three seasons with Astros, 25 seasons overall)

Free Agency Losses: P Justin Verlander (signed with New York Mets), C Christian Vazquez (signed with Minnesota Twins), SS Aledmys Diaz (signed with Oakland Athletics), SS Franklin Barretto (signed minor league deal with Washington).

Free agency gains: 1B Jose Abreu (three-year contract worth reported $58.5 million), P Rafael Montero (three-year contract worth reported $34.5 million), 2B Dixon Machado (signed minor league deal), OF Michael Brantley (returning on one-year contract), P Austin Davis (minor-league contract).

Remaining free agents: P Will Smith, 1B Trey Mancini, 1B Yuli Gurriel, C Jason Castro, P Josh James, P Nick Hernandez.

Projected Lineup in Field: 1B José Abreu, 2B Jose Altuve, SS Jeremy Peña, 3B Alex Bregman, C Martín Maldonado, DH Yordan Alvarez, OF Mauricio Dubón, OF Chas McCormick, OF Kyle Tucker. Michael Brantley is likely a starter, assuming he’s healthy to start the season.

Projected Starting Rotation: Lance McCullers, Framber Valdez, Jose Uquirdy, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia.

Note: Projected lineup and rotation taken from MLB.com depth chart.

Outlook: It’s hard not to imagine the Astros winning the AL West again in 2023. The Astros allowed Justin Verlander — the reigning AL Cy Young winner — to sign with the Mets because they had four other starters that won at least 11 games last season. The fifth, McCullers, went 4-2 in eight starts at the end of the season.

Re-signing Montero keeps the Astros bullpen basically intact from a season ago. Abreu gives the Astros a bat that is a former Rookie of the Year and MVP. It’s a potent lineup and a potent rotation that will be hard for any team in baseball to chase down.

What’s left? The Astros brought back Brantley as a free agent, so their outfield is locked in, assuming he’s ready to play in April after labrum surgery. The Astros are also believed to be interested in retaining Gurriel, but with Abreu now at first base, he may seek a new deal elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Astros have a general manager search after parting ways with Jim Click, something Astros legend Jeff Bagwell says he wants no part of, despite is involvement in bringing Abreu to Houston.

Previous AL West updates:

Los Angeles Angels | Oakland Athletics | Seattle Mariners

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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