Astros Knocked Out of Playoffs as Offseason Decisions Loom

Quick Exit for Houston

The Houston Astros became the first team to exit the 2026 MLB playoffs. Their season ended on the last day of September after a wild-card sweep by the Chicago White Sox. This swift exit left fans disappointed and raised many questions about the team's future.

The Astros did well to reach the postseason at all. They managed to climb out of a deep hole in late May, when they had 20 wins and 31 losses. However, they had to win their final two games of the season just to finish with a .500 record. Over the course of the year, they were outscored by 32 runs. If the AL West division had not been so weak, Houston would have missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Big Offseason Decisions

Houston must now find a new leader for their baseball operations. The team played the final stretch of the season without a general manager. Dana Brown was let go in late August, leaving a committee to handle the trade deadline and the draft.

Owner Jim Crane and former player Jeff Bagwell have a lot of influence on the team. Bagwell has openly doubted analytics in the past. The choice of the next general manager will show how the club wants to run its operations.

The most likely move is to promote an assistant general manager from within the organization. Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey, and Connor Huff are possible candidates. The team will also have to decide whether to keep manager Joe Espada for the 2027 season. Key players like pitcher Bryan Abreu and third baseman Isaac Paredes are also heading into free agency.