Sitemap - 2024 - Orange Fire

A Well Executed Offseason Plan. But It's Not a Good Plan.

Dana Brown at the Helm

Stuck in the Middle?

The Astros Direction This Offseason is Unclear.

What Is the Astros "Offensive Identity" That They "Got Away From" in 2024?

Will Billy Wagner Get a Final Year Bump in Hall of Fame Voting?

The Complications of Trading Ryan Pressly

Do Ryan Pressly Trade Rumors Signal a Change in How the Astros Build The Bullpen?

A Quiet Offseason in the AL West?

Are They Any Silver Linings to a "Root for the Meteor" World Series?

A Tight Payroll May Limit the Astros Choices, Despite Big Needs. My Off Season Preview

The Astros Defied the Playoff Odds and the Baseball Gods for Years, Until They Finally Didn't

The Bullpen Lost the Game. But the Bats Lost the Series. My Game 2 Analysis

My Game 1 Analysis: Skubal was Better Than Framber; The Offense Couldn't Singles; the Tigers Defense Came Up Big at the Right Time; Espada Manages For the Platoon Advantage

My Wild Card Series Preview: Two Good Run Prevention Teams, But the Astros Have a Much Better Offense

Why the Impending Free Agency of Alex Bregman Feels More Ominous Than Those of Previous Golden Era Astros

The Year of the Turnaround

The Astros Offense is High Contact, Low Walk, Middling Power. Will That Work in the Playoffs?

How Much Has Joe Espada Changed Things As Astros Manager?

With 16 Games to Go, the AL West is Mostly--But Not Fully--Secure

Yainer Diaz Has Been a "Main Guy" This Season. And He's Deserved to Be One

Matt Chapman's Contract Confirms What We Suspected: Jim Crane Will Have to Break His 5-Year Rule to Re-Sign Alex Bregman

Justin Verlander's Strikeout Rate is Down

Playoff Race Assessment with a Sixth of The Season to Go

The 2024 Astros MVPs: Pitching Coaches Josh Miller and Bill Murphy

The Fangraphs Trade Value Lists Shows that the End of This Contention Window is Close

The Astros Have Turned Their Season Around Thanks To Their Pitching

The Many Knock-On Effects of the Kikuchi Trade

The Astros Paid the Most for Any Pitcher This Trade Deadline

Kikuchi's Effective Stuff and Durability Will Help the 2024 Astros

The Astros Desperately Need to Add Pitching. Other Needs Like First Base Can Take a Back Seat.

Winning the Series in Seattle in Quite Nice. But Winning the Division is a Long-Term Proposition.

Trade Deadline Big Picture Issue #3: Who's Making the Decisions in the Front Office

Trade Deadline Big Picture Issue #2: How Much is a Wild Card Berth Worth?

Trade Deadline Big Picture Issues: #1. How Much Luxury Tax Will Jim Crane Pay?

What the Hell Happened to the Texas Rangers?

Framber Valdez's Strikeout Rate is Sharply Down This Season

The Astros Bats Have Gotten Hot Since Kyle Tucker Got Injured

Reaction Post: Hunter Brown's Sinker; Astros Swing Aggression; and Letting the Season Breath

Why I'm Not Paying Attention to the AL West Race Right Now

7 Observations About the Release of Jose Abreu

The Astros Stars Are Not Playing Like Stars.

The Hope and the Plan to Deal with the Issues With Pitching Depth

A Bad Time for the Hitters to Slump

Why is Jose Abreu Returning to the Active Roster? Two Words: Jim Crane

The Bullpen's Turnaround Has Been Both Illusory and Important

The Defense Has Declined Even More This Season

Loperfido is Coming Up. But Who's Going Down?

It's Getting Late Early for the Astros in 2024

Should the Front Office Have Signed More Pitching Depth in the Offseason

If Every Day is a New Adventure, Why Does the Astros Season Feel Like Groundhog Day?

Bad Play and Bad Luck Lead to a Bad Start

"Cambio" Blanco. The Car Wash Man Who Threw a No Hitter

When 0-4 Feels Like 0-162

A Better Offense Than The Rangers; A Better Pitching Staff Than the Mariners. Why the Astros are AL West Favorites

Jim Crane is the Pivotal Man Steering the Astros at the Crossroads

Will the Astros Pitching Depth Come Through…Like They Did in 2023?

Will 'Business as Usual' Continue in the Astros Farm System

A New Strategy for Building the Back of the Bullpen

Can Hunter Brown Cut Down on Homers Allowed? There Are Reasons to Think Yes

How Joe Espada Might Manage Differently

Altuve Signs An Extension at a Hometown Discount

Cristian Javier's Slider Deserted Him in 2023. Can He Get it Back This Season?

Positive Reaction to Hader Signing Shows Shifts in Analytical Thinking

Projections show the Astros are the favorites in 2024. And that the Rangers' young depth make them dangerous.

The Astros Sink Big Resources Into a 1-Inning Reliever. I Think It Will Work.

Utley, Vizquel and How Different Values Hall of Fame Standards

Three Areas Where the Astros Are Projected to Be Better in 2024..and One Where They are Not