Houston Astros' Offseason Fail Was Not Addressing This Major Concern

The Houston Astros not addressing this issue during the MLB offseason was a big problem.

May 18, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA;Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers | Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros' struggles this season have been mostly due to the injuries they've dealt with. Factor in a new manager, it still being early in the season, and more, it's not too big of a surprise to see them struggle the way they have.

However, this was an uncommon stretch for an organization that's dominated baseball throughout the past decade.

Looking at one offseason mulligan each MLB team wishes it had, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report listed the Astros biggest issue as not addressing their injured rotation.

"Rather than make a last-minute move to do something about the depleted rotation, they just decided to let it ride with "sophomores" Hunter Brown and J.P. France, rookie Spencer Arrighetti and journeyman Ronel Blanco getting regular turns through the rotation," Miller wrote.

While they can't control all of the injuries they've dealt with, Houston knew that Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. would be out to start the season. Justin Verlander came into Spring Training with an arm injury and Jose Urquidy wasn't going to be ready for Opening Day.

Instead of addressing that need, the front office decided to wing it, and they paid the price for it early on. Previous seasons suggested they can develop players on both ends of the baseball, evident by letting Carlos Correa and George Springer walk, then winning a championship after.

However, pitching is a different animal, and adding arms was the right thing to do when they knew they were going to be dealing with issues on that end.

The hope is for them to get healthy soon as they look to get back on track.

Over the past 10 games, the Astros have shown they can still be an elite team, going 7-3 over that span. It'll take much more for them to get back where they need to be, but it was a step in the right direction.