Manager: Brad Mills (Entering third
season as the Astros' manager: 132-192 record)
2011 in Review
Record: 56-106
Division Finish (6th in NL Central)
League Finish (16th in National
League)
Playoffs: None
Major Offseason News
November 17th: Drayton McLane sells
Astros to Houston Businessman Jim Crane, who agrees to move franchise to
American League West beginning in 2013.
November 27th: Crane fires GM Ed
Wade and President Tal Smith
December 7th: Crane hires former
Cardinals VP Jeff Luhnow as the General Manager
March 20th: Astros trade Jason
Bourgeois and Humberto Quintero to Kansas City for Kevin Chapman
Questions & Answers
Coming off the worst season in
franchise history, how will the Astros respond in 2012?
The Astros will be a very similar to
last year's team when they finished with a 56-106 record, the worst in
franchise history. The Astros truly do
not have a lot of talent because they've been dumping All Stars the last couple
of seasons at the trading deadline to clear CAP room. But can Houston really be as bad as last
year? I find it hard to believe that the
team will be as bad as last year because their youngsters have another year
under their belt. Even with J.D.
Martinez, Bud Norris, and Brian Bogusevic approaching as team leaders this
season, expect the Astros to finish as a cellar team once again.
How will the franchise's 50 year
anniversary and final season in the National League affect the team's play in
2012?
Isn't it ironic that the Astros are
celebrating their 50 year anniversary as they prepare for a move to the
American League next season? Over the
offseason, Commissioner Bud Selig recognized the many transformations
throughout college athletics and wanted baseball to be a part of it. As part of the franchise's sell to Houston
Businessman Jim Crane, Selig required the franchise to move to the American
League beginning in 2013. The National
League is all the Astros have ever known, and although the Astros have no chance at
making the playoffs this season, the team's fans will create the needed energy
to make this a memorable season. The
2012 season concludes a chapter in the franchise's history, but begins another
as well.
Will the Astros be active around
July's trade deadline like they have the past few seasons?
One should expect the Astros to once
again be active around July' trade deadline as they have the past two
seasons. Wandy Rodriguez should once
again be expected to be in trade talks throughout the season as the Astros continue
to clear CAP room heading into the American League next season. If the Astros were to trade Rodriguez, they
would most likely receive more young talent and cheaper contracts. That, and an extra sixteen million dollars a
season from Carlos Lee's expiring contract, could make Houston an
offseason player heading into their inaugural season in the American League.
Will the new ownership and general
manager benefit the lousy state of the franchise?
It is not a surprise that they
experienced the worst season in franchise history last season. The Astros
haven't produced a quality team in four years and it's going to be a couple of
years for this franchise to escape the hell hole that they put themselves in.
Over the offseason, they received new ownership when Houston businessman Jim
Crane bought the team from Drayton McLane. Crane quickly made some management
moves in the following weeks, which should convice Astros' fans that he will
certainly improve the franchise's status. It may take a number of years for
Crane to restore the Astros, but he will get done.
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