4 Astros offseason moves that already look genius, 1 that looks truly awful

It shouldn't be understated how much the MLB trade deadline wrecked the Houston Astros' offseason plans. Jim Crane finding a way to coax Carlos Correa away from the Minnesota Twins (while taking on most of his contract) didn't just backfire with Houston missing the playoffs in 2025, but it has added to just how much Dana Brown and Co. have been handcuffed this winter.

The Astros are not without needs--they need to replace Framber Valdez, the offense is begging for a different look to it, and the bullpen may need another veteran arm--but their payroll outlook is significantly limiting what they can do.

4 Astros offseason moves that already look genius

Setting aside the cloudy outlook for the Astros, they still managed to make some moves that could age well.

Signing Nate Pearson

Nate Pearson is a former first-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, and someone Dana Brown should have good knowledge of. Brown was in Toronto when they drafted Pearson, and unlike the Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, the Astros view the 29-year-old as a starting pitcher. Pearson's command needs to be fixed, but for less than $2M, this is a wise gamble for the cash-strapped Astros.

Overhauling their training staff

One of the first moves the Astros made this offseason was firing head trainer Jeremiah Randall. Injuries weren't just a problem for the Astros last year; it was how those players were recovering--routine 15-day stints on the IL turned into months-long absences. Something needed to change, and that hope is a reconstructed training staff that avoids the weirdness with injuries that has surrounded this team for the last several years.

Selecting Roddery Muñoz in the Rule 5 draft

It would have been an egregious mistake by the Astros if they didn't use the Rule 5 draft as a way to add a free lottery ticket to their pitching staff. Roddery Muñoz is far from a sure thing, but it cost Houston nothing to add him this offseason and see if he can prove to be a diamond in the rough.

Avoiding the Rays' asking price for Shane Baz

It seemed that the Astros were deciding between trading for Shane Baz or Mike Burrows, and they settled on Burrows. While Baz may have the higher upside, seeing what the Orioles gave up for him, Houston was wise to stay away from that deal.

1 Astros offseason move that truly looks awful

Trading for Mike Burrows

Sure, we get why the Astros traded for Burrows instead of Baz, and that was the correct decision. That said, expecting Burrows to be a legitimate answer for the starting rotation seems questionable at best. It's a situation that may have been beyond their contract, considering the payroll situation, but Burrows could quickly prove to be a miss, regardless of the years of control he has.

It's been an odd offseason for the Astros, and short of a dramatic shift in their approach, it's hard to see them generating much excitement with any move they make this offseason.