Astros fans feel déjà vu after seeing 2026 starting rotation prediction

After missing the playoffs in 2025, it feels like the Houston Astros are facing an identity crisis. A roster with bloated contracts is limiting what Houston can do this offseason, considering Jim Crane's preference to remain under the luxury tax, and Crane, himself, seems to be the force standing in the way of what the Astros should do this offseason: reset their contention window.

With Crane allowing Joe Espada and Dana Brown to enter what has the scent of being a lame-duck season in 2026, it feels like the Astros will try to find a way to get back to contending in 2026. But given the handcuffs of their payroll and roster construction, Brown and Co. may be forced to get creative when it comes to improving their roster.

The top need for the Astros remains in the rotation, with Framber Valdez viewed as one of the top names on the free-agent market. For the same reason why the Astros aren't expected to bring back Valdez, it's hard to point to them as being the team to sign one Dylan Cease, Ranger Suarez, or Tatsuya Imai.

In other words, the Astros seemed to be a prime candidate for another déjà vu move, similar to their reunion with Carlos Correa at the MLB trade deadline. In predicting the Astros' starting rotation for 2026, Bleacher Report has the team filling its rotation need by bringing back Justin Verlander.

Facing another crossroads moment, the Astros turning to Justin Verlander once again would be a hilarious mistake

A free agent ahead of what many believe will be the final season of his playing career, Verlander has been the subject of recent Astros rumors. The indication is that each side could be open to a reunion, and it feels like a move that would be driven by nostalgia instead of baseball logic.

In his current form, Verlander is far from a suitable replacement for Valdez in the Astros' rotation, which is why it's laughable that Bleacher Report has him earmarked for being the team's No. 2 starter next season.

In 29 starts with the San Francisco Giants last season, Verlander trudged his way to a 3.85 ERA. Certainly not terrible, but his underlying metrics-20.7% strikeout rate and 4.57 xFIP-suggest that there was some luck involved with his modest ERA.

In a rotation where the Astros already made a big swing at an upgrade and connected, Verlander would be a fine option at the backend. But there isn't a scenario where he should enter the 2026 season as one of the Astros' top starters.