Former Exec Predicts Astros' Rivals Land Elite Closer

With the Houston Astros being resigned to the fact they're going to make small-scale moves this offseason, they will have to rely on a roster that has produced seven straight ALCS appearances.

Other franchises around the league would love to be in that situation, but after not making it to the World Series last year to defend their title, that exit stung in a different way.

Not only did they not make it back to the Fall Classic, but they were eliminated by their rival Texas Rangers, who went on to win their franchise's first ever World Series title.

And while the Astros are having a dormant offseason due to financial constraints, the Rangers are expected to add even more talent to their loaded roster after already spending massive amounts of money to assemble this team.

To make matters even worse, former MLB executive, Jim Bowden, is predicting that Texas signs Josh Hader this offseason in his article for The Athletic.

It was originally rumored that the lefty was looking to be the highest-paid closer in MLB history, but the quiet market so far has Bowden adjusting what he thinks Hader might get.

"I originally thought he had a chance to top Edwin Diaz’s five-year, $102 million contract, but I’m lowering my projection and now predict that he beats Diaz in terms of average annual salary but gets only a three-year deal," he writes.

Bowden has the Rangers signing Hader to a three-year, $63 million deal to continue adding to their stacked roster.

Houston will have to hope their experienced and ready-made team can continue to compete with what Texas is building in their own division.