Thursday, February 13

HOUSTON -- The longest offseason for the Astros in a decade will end this week when pitchers and catchers work out collectively for the first time on Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Astros said goodbye to four key members of their 2022 World Series championship club and welcome some new faces, including Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes on the infield.

After advancing to the American League Championship Series in seven consecutive seasons (2017-23), the Astros’ ’24 postseason was over before it began. The won the AL West against but were swept in two games by the Tigers in the AL Wild Card Series, setting up an offseason of transition. They traded Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly to the Cubs and appear to have moved on from third baseman Alex Bregman, who was a staple in their lineup during each run to the ALCS.

As the Astros get set to hit the field under the Florida sun this week, here are three storylines to watch as Spring Training ramps up:

Do the Astros have enough depth?

After losing four key members of their 2022 World Series championship team this winter -- Tucker, Pressly, Bregman and starting pitcher Justin Verlander -- the Astros' depth will be tested in ’25. The lineup, anchored by Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Walker, Paredes and Yainer Diaz, is strong at the top, but questions remain about outfield production.

Left-hander Framber Valdez and right-hander Hunter Brown, who emerged last year as an ace-level starter, are a solid 1-2 at the top of the rotation, but the club needs Ronel Blanco to repeat his ‘24 performance, Spencer Arrighetti to take a step forward and newcomer Hayden Wesneski to settle into a full-time starter role. The bullpen lacks experienced depth after closer Josh Hader and setup man Bryan Abreu, so the Astros will be relying on Taylor Scott (4.94 ERA in 68 2/3 innings last year), Shawn Dubin, Bryan King and Forrest Whitley, among others, to pick up some key innings.

Will Jose Altuve really play left field?

Altuve, the nine-time All-Star second baseman and franchise icon, spent a couple of weeks fielding fly balls in left field at Daikin Park in the weeks leading up to Spring Training in anticipation of moving to the outfield this year, at least maybe part time. Altuve said he was willing to make the move if the team was going to re-sign Bregman, which now appears like a longshot.

Still, the Astros appear motivated to at least expose Altuve to left field this spring, which should be interesting. Houston wants to limit how many innings Alvarez plays in left field this year, so Altuve could fill that void on occasion. The Astros traded for Paredes to play third base, but he could shift to second if Altuve finds a home in left. That would open a hole a third, where Mauricio Dubón and prospect Zach Dezenzo could split time. Stay tuned.

Which starting pitchers will emerge?

Houston’s five-man rotation is set, barring injuries: Valdez, Brown, Blanco, Arrighetti and Wesneski. But then what? The Astros used 12 pitchers last year and said goodbye to Verlander and Yusei Kikuchi in free agency, so there should be plenty of opportunity for someone to begin making a case for the rotation this spring.

Lefty Colton Gordon, the Astros’ No. 12-ranked prospect in 2024, was added to the 40-man roster in November and will be under the microscope this spring. Ryan Gusto, a 6-foot-4 right-hander, went 8-6 with a 3.70 ERA in 29 games (26 starts) last year at Triple-A Sugar Land and is a favorite of general manager Dana Brown. The Astros’ best bet would be getting healthy. Unfortunately for them, Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. won’t be ready for Opening Day, and Cristian Javier won’t return until after the All-Star break.

Single-game tickets for the first half of the Astros’ 2025 schedule will go on sale Feb. 28. That begins with Opening Day against Juan Soto and the Mets on March 27 through the Cubs series June 29, which marks the return of Tucker and Pressly to Houston. Series against the Padres, Phillies and Blue Jays are also included.

Fan can register now for the chance to purchase tickets for all regular-season home games before they go on sale to the public. By completing the form, fans will be registered in a drawing for a chance to purchase a limited number of 2025 single-game tickets. The team will conduct a random drawing from among eligible fans at 11:59 p.m. CT on Feb. 24.

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys, coming off a Triple-A national championship last year, will return manager Mickey Storey for the fifth consecutive season. He was named the 2024 Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year after guiding Sugar Land to a 93-56 record -- the most wins in a single season in the PCL since 1981. The Space Cowboys were the only team to win at least 90 games in Minor League Baseball in 2024.
 
The rest of the staff includes pitching coach Sean Buchanan, hitting coach Joe Thurston, and development coach Wladimir Sutil.
 
At Double-A Corpus Christi, Ricky Rivera will take over as manager of the Hooks after managing the previous two seasons at Single-A Fayetteville. Rivera joined the Astros organization in 2020 and spent the '21 and '22 seasons managing the Florida Complex League Astros. The rest of his staff includes pitching coach Alex Harter, hitting coach Bobby Bell and development coach Jeff Calhoon.
 
Meanwhile, Nate Shaver will return as manager for the fifth consecutive year at High-A Asheville and Carlos Lugo will take over as manager at Fayetteville. Lugo, 35, joined the Astros in 2014 as a catching specialist with the Dominican Summer League Astros and went on to manage the club from 2016-2020.

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