Houston Astros: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Jose Altuve's Defensive Struggles Leave Astros Without Clear Options

The Astros moved Jose Altuve to left field last season, hoping it would help hide his declining defense at second base. That plan backfired. Altuve struggled defensively everywhere he played, and now Houston enters 2026 without a good answer for where to put their $30 million franchise icon.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

In The Lab: Astros Bullpen Projections

Last time, we took a look at starting pitcher projections for ERA. We will do the same here for relief pitchers. Obviously, there is a ton to get into here and before we dive in we need to talk about some issues that come up with all pitchers.

Houston Astros News / Last Word On Sports / January 23

Astros Fans’ Reaction to Carlos Beltrán’s HOF Election

The National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was officially finalized on Tuesday as Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones got elected through the Baseball

Houston Astros News / Houston Astros on SI / January 22

Astros Considered To Have Two Most Overpaid Infielders in Major Leagues

The Houston Astros are looking to bounce back into the postseason this year after coming up short in 2025. Their woes during their last campaign were largely attributed to persistent visits to the injured list, but individual performances seemed to dip quite low.

MLB News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'MLB active RBI leaders' quiz

Can you name the active hitters with the most runs-batted-in in their career?

The 'MLB teammates to hit 30 HRs in 2017' quiz

The 'World Series walk-off home runs' quiz

The 'Active MLB doubles leaders' quiz

MLB News / Yardbarker

The 20 most significant MLB Rule 5 draftees

The Rule 5 draft, held annually at the winter meetings in December, never garners much fanfare, but it has been known to yield some noteworthy transactions.

Houston Astros News / Crawfish Boxes / January 22

Did Astros Get Rotation ‘All Right’?

By now, Astros fans have likely seen the wave of national articles and social media posts projecting Houston’s starting rotation for the 2026 season. Most of the attention has understandably centered on Lance McCullers Jr.

Houston Astros News / ESPN / January 22

HOFer Beltran: Astros scandal doesn't define me

Carlos Beltrán was the only player mentioned by name in the 2017 Astros' sign-stealing scandal, but the Hall of Famer said it doesn't define who he is.

Houston Astros News / Crawfish Boxes / January 22

Astros Caravan Day 3: January 23 Locations Announced

Day three of the 2026 Astros Caravan is set to visit Baytown, Beaumont, Ingram, Missouri City, Sugar Land and San Antonio on Friday, Jan. 23. The Astros Caravan gives fans the opportunity to connect with players, alumni and broadcasters at various locations as the club approaches the start of Spring Training camp.

Chas McCormick News / MLB Trade Rumors / January 22

Cubs, Chas McCormick Agree To Minor League Deal

The Cubs are signing free agent outfielder Chas McCormick to a minor league contract and inviting him to major league camp this spring, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

Lance McCullers News / Houston Astros on SI / January 22

Astros Hope Not-So-Secret Weapon Delivers Healthy 2026 Season

By no means were the Houston Astros a bad team in 2025, despite missing out on the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. They ranked well as a team with their pitching, collecting a 3.86 cumulative ERA, 1,504 strikeouts (2nd-best in MLB), and an opposing batting average of .232.

Houston Astros News / Houston Astros on SI / January 22

Astros First Month of Regular Season Will Set Tone for 2026 Campaign

The 2026 Major League Baseball season is just over two months away. Competition play will begin, and franchises across the nation will be off on yet another race to the postseason.

MLB News / Yardbarker

The 25 greatest pitching seasons from the modern MLB era

America's favorite pastime has more memorable performances than any sport. As such, figuring out which pitchers had the best seasons ever is no easy task.

Isaac Paredes News / Crawfish Boxes / January 22

Are Red Sox Pivoting Away From Astros’ Paredes as Trade Target?

Just five days ago, one of the hottest rumors making the rounds involved the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox having discussions involving Astros 3B Isaac Paredes and Red Sox OF Jarren Duran.

Houston Astros News / Crawfish Boxes / January 22

Astros Caravan: Day 2 Stops and Information

Day two of the 2026 Astros Caravan is set to visit central Houston and Austin on Thursday, Jan. 22. The Astros Caravan gives fans the opportunity to connect with players, alumni and broadcasters at various locations as the club approaches the start of Spring Training camp.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Last 100-catch season by team' quiz

The '2025 NFL first-team All-Pro' quiz

The 'Last three-passing-TD playoff game' quiz

The 'NFL playoff rushing-TD record' quiz

Houston Astros News / Houston Astros on SI / January 22

Everything Astros Fans Need to Know About This Weekend’s FanFest

Although the Houston Astros are caught up in trade market chaos with spring training on the horizon, one of their most anticipated events is scheduled to take place this weekend: FanFest.

Houston Astros News / Crawfish Boxes / January 21

In The Lab: Houston Astros Starting Pitcher Projections

We looked at Astros hitter projections a couple of weeks ago and the natural follow up would be pitchers. However, I specifically waited on them because some projection systems had not released their projections yet.

Houston Astros News / Houston Astros on SI / January 21

Astros Must Trade from Infield Surplus Before Spring Training Begins

The Houston Astros head into the final weeks before spring training with an infield problem that demands resolution. Too many quality players occupy too few positions, and the math simply doesn't add up for keeping everyone on the roster through February.

Carlos Beltran News / Houston Astros on SI / January 20

Carlos Beltran Hall of Fame Bid Highlights His Iconic 2004 Astros Playoff Run

Carlos Beltran's road to Cooperstown goes straight through Houston. The nine-time All-Star looks set to join the Hall of Fame when results come out today, thanks largely to one of the best postseason runs in baseball history during his 2004 time with the Astros.

Houston Astros News / Crawfish Boxes / January 20

2026 Astros Caravan Stops Announced

The 2026 Houston Astros Caravan begins Wednesday, January 21 and includes stops in Tomball, The Woodlands and Corpus Christi. The Astros Caravan gives fans the opportunity to connect with players, alumni and broadcasters at various locations as the club approaches the start of Spring Training camp.

Yordan Alvarez News / Athlon Sports / January 20

MLB Makes Yordan Alvarez Announcement on Tuesday

The Houston Astros’ 2025 season was forgettable, as the team collapsed in September and missed out on the MLB playoffs, ending a run of eight consecutive postseason appearances.

Houston Astros News / MLB on ClutchPoints / January 20

Astros rumors: Writer would be ‘surprised’ if Houston doesn’t make specific trade

The Houston Astros hope to push their way back into the postseason for 2026. Houston is looking to make some moves this offseason. One Major League Baseball writer believes the Astros will be trading from one particular area, when they look to make a deal.

Houston Astros News / Last Word On Sports / January 18

Astros Legend Announces Retirement

When you think about the Houston Astros’ golden era run, many elite pitchers come to mind. Typically, those would be starters such as Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Lance McCullers Jr., or Gerrit Cole.

Ryan Pressly News / Larry Brown Sports / January 17

Ex-Astros champion announces his retirement from MLB

The exit music is officially playing for one former Houston Astros champion. Veteran MLB reliever Ryan Pressly announced over social media on Saturday that he is officially retiring from baseball.

Houston Astros News / MLB Trade Rumors / January 17

Astros Sign Carlos Perez, Amos Willingham To Minors Deals

The Astros released their list of non-roster Spring Training invitees yesterday, and two of the names heading to camp are catcher Carlos Perez and right-hander Amos Willingham, who signed minor league deals with Houston back in November.

Walker Janek News / New Baseball Media / January 16

Walker Janek, Joseph Sullivan Among Astros’ 2026 Non-Roster Invitees

With less than a month before the first official 2026 Spring Training workouts, teams have begun to announce their non-roster invite lists. The Astros were one of the first teams to announce the prospects headed to big league camp, as Houston did so on January 16.

Houston Astros News / Just Baseball / January 10

Playing GM: 3 Moves to Complete Houston Astros Roster for 2026

The 2025 campaign presented the Houston Astros with unfamiliar territory. When Game 162 concluded, so did their season. For the first time since 2016, the Houston Astros watched all of the postseason from their sofas.

Houston Astros News / Yardbarker / January 1