The Houston Astros might face a significant setback after receiving disappointing news about a $60 million signing. According to the Houston Chronicle, the team’s top free-agent acquisition heralded as the centerpiece of their offseason efforts suffered an injury on Wednesday, echoing a similar setback he had encountered before.
The Astros, who originally joined the National League as the Houston Colt .45s in 1962, struggled for their first 54 years. It wasn’t until 2005 that the franchise reached the World Series for the first time, and during that long period, they only made ten postseason appearances. One notable playoff run occurred in the 1981 season, which was split into two uneven halves due to a midseason players’ strike. Despite finishing third overall, Houston clinched a playoff berth by winning the “second half” of the NL West with a 33-20 record.
When MLB restructured its divisions in 2013, the Astros moved to the AL West—a decision that immediately led to the worst season in team history, as they lost 111 games and finished 45 games behind the division-winning Oakland Athletics. Since then, the Astros have aimed to maintain an eight-year winning streak. Their remarkable turnaround began in 2017, and apart from the shortened 2020 COVID season, they have dominated the AL West every year, finishing atop the standings, winning two World Series titles, making four appearances, and qualifying for the ALCS each season, including in 2020, until last year.
Even though the Astros clinched the division again in 2024, that season was widely regarded as a down year by recent standards. Finishing with just 88 wins—their lowest win total in a regular season since 2016—they were forced to settle for a Wild Card spot, and the Detroit Tigers subsequently pummeled them in two consecutive games.
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