Three questions facing the Houston Astros this offseason

The Houston Astros found themselves in an unfamiliar place once the regular season ended — out of the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Injuries, especially to the pitching staff, were a significant factor. Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez were the only pitchers to make at least 15 starts as the Astros had 15 different starters. However, the injuries in the bullpen were more than the Astros could handle as they had a 20-23 record after closer Josh Hader landed on the Injured List. Losing relievers Kaleb Ort and Bennett Souza proved to be the final nail in the Astros' coffin.

The Astros are at a bit of a crossroads. The rest of the AL West has caught up with Houston — the Mariners won the division, and the Rangers were in the thick of the playoff hunt before losing 11 of their last 13 games. Even the A's are showing signs of competitiveness. With the Astros having plenty of holes on the roster, there is plenty of work to be done this offseason.

Three questions facing the Houston Astros this offseason

1. Do the Astros have enough depth in the rotation?

Only two pitchers on the Astros made at least 15 starts in 2025 — Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez. Brown took a significant step forward in 2025 and appears to be a future ace. However, Valdez is a free agent and, after questions about whether or not he intentionally hit his catcher after giving up a grand slam, may not return.

Better health will make a difference in 2026. Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti should be healthy and ready to go in spring training. However, the rest of the rotation is a question mark. While Lance McCullers showed occasional flashes of competence, he also posted a 6.51 ERA and cannot be counted on. The Astros will need to add at least two starters to the rotation if they want to retake the AL West.

2. Can second baseman Jose Altuve and first baseman Christian Walker return to form?

While the Astros' injuries received the most attention, a pair of healthy players has become a concern. Altuve and Walker struggled for much of the 2025 season and were among the Astros' biggest disappointments. Altuve posted a .265/.329/.442 batting line, albeit with 26 homers and 24 doubles, over 654 plate appearances. Walker, meanwhile, posted a .238/.297/.421 batting line with 27 homers and 24 doubles in 640 plate appearances.

Age may be a factor, as Altuve and Walker are 35 years old and 34 years old, respectively. The disastrous attempt to have Altive play left field may have also been a factor in his relative struggles at the plate. However, those struggles were magnified after designated hitter Yordan Alvarez missed nearly four months due to a fractured right hand. The Astros need Altuve and Walker to fend Father Time off for another year to improve a lineup that was essentially league average.

3. Do the Astros have enough in the outfield?

If Altuve is removed from consideration (he had 66 games at second compared to 47 games in left), the Astros had one outfielder to appear in more than 15 games to have an OPS+ over 100 (league average) — center fielder Jake Meyers. Meyers also had a .353 batting average on balls in play (league average is .294), an unsustainably high mark that makes his career year in 2025 appear to be an aberration.

In theory, the Astros could have a solid outfield. Alvarez can handle left field and Jesus Sanchez can play in either right or left. Cam Smith struggled during his rookie year in 2025 but could take a step forward with a full season under his belt. However, the Astros may want to deal from their surplus of infielders to improve the outfield, keeping Alvarez as their designated hitter while having another option should Meyers' production fall to his typical level or Smith continues to struggle against major league pitching.