Houston’s offseason plan centers on preserving core stability while addressing two free-agent questions. Framber Valdez and Victor Caratini are the only consequential free agents from the current roster, with Valdez anchoring the rotation and Caratini handling catching. The rest of the star core—Altuve, Alvarez, Peña, and Brown among others—remains under team control for the near term, creating room to balance extensions, arbitration, and payroll without a full rebuild.

Beyond Valdez and Caratini, the horizon features a mix of arbitration-eligible depth and aging or longer-term contracts. Key decisions will revolve around how aggressively Houston retains or replaces pieces like Abreu, Dubón, Urías, and McCullers, while mapping out long-term commitments for a championship window that runs through the late 2020s and into 2030s via extensions and option structure.

Houston snapped a five-game skid with an 11-5 rout of Oakland, riding Framber Valdez’s seven strong innings and an early offensive burst led by Altuve and Paredes. The win tightens the AL wild-card race, lifting Houston within a half-game of Detroit for the final spot as the club heads to Anaheim in a must-win trip.

With Peña and Alvarez sidelined, a lefty-heavy lineup and depth contributions from Caratini, Walker and Trammell helped keep the pressure on. Valdez delivered a quality start, Abreu closed it, and Houston showed the urgency needed to stay alive down the stretch.

Houston rolled out a bullpen-by-committee win, led by AJ Blubaugh, who opened and piled up seven strikeouts across three scoreless frames to set the tone against Texas. The early lead built by the middle innings gave the Astros room to stretch the bullpen and survive a late Rangers surge, preserving a tight place in the wild-card picture.

The win showcased Houston’s depth, with Colton Gordon, Enyel De Los Santos, and Bryan Abreu contributing key innings as the club held on for a 6-5 victory. Carlos Correa extolled Blubaugh’s preparation and mentality, underscoring how a diligent, versatile rookie could become a postseason asset for the Astros.

Texas drops a pivotal series opener in Houston as the Astros seize early control with a six-run burst and the Rangers’ late push falls short. Blubaugh’s bullpen-game start stymies Texas early while Merrill Kelly labors through three frames. Cody Freeman’s homer sparks a comeback, Heim’s pinch-hit two-run shot in the eighth fuels a late rally, and García’s first-pitch RBI single keeps the chase alive. Edwards Jr. provides veteran bullpen depth, but Bochy remains wary of García’s health as the Wild Card race tightens.