Astros' ongoing roster drama centers on beloved players they never replaced

The Houston Astros may never admit this publicly, but most of the drama the front office has been trying to work through this offseason ties back to the dismantling of their previous core. It started in earnest last offseason when the Astros traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs and took a backseat to the Red Sox in the bidding for Alex Bregman.

Fast forward to the present time--Tucker is now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Bregman with the Cubs--and Framber Valdez can be added to the list. The entire 2025 season felt like a farewell between Valdez and the Astros, and there was little surprise that Houston was an afterthought in the conversation when the 32-year-old starting pitcher signed with the Detroit Tigers.

Had the Astros made the playoffs in 2025, chances are the drama that has suffocated the team likely wouldn't be a thing. Instead, the Astros collapsed in September and have entered spring training with a roster that doesn't look sustainable for the duration of the regular season.

Not to mention, part of the reason why the Astros brought back Carlos Correa at the trade deadline last July is because the clubhouse needed a new voice of leadership. Or, in Correa's case, a familiar voice.

MLB insiders quietly confirm that the Astros' era as we knew it may finally be over

The Athletic's (subscription required) Jayson Stark recently polled MLB insiders on the "most irreplaceable subtraction" this offseason, and the former Astros are littered at the top of the list. Bregman's departure from the Red Sox got 11 votes, Tucker's exit from Chicago got 6 votes, and Valdez leaving the Astros got 5 votes.

Each example is a case of what the Astros could be missing in 2026.

Bregman was a steady presence on the field and a leader off the field. Correa's return should help in that regard, but it was Correa's arrival that has led to the roster predicament they face with Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker.

Tucker is the left-handed bat the Astros are desperately looking for, and suddenly, if Paredes is dealt, the trade of Tucker suddenly has a different look to it. If Tatsuya Imai ascends toward being a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, the Astros won't lose sleep over the loss of Valdez. If Imai doesn't, then that feels like the decision that could undo Dana Brown as the team's general manager.

Losing franchise cornerstones has defined the Astros' way of operation in recent years and it may finally be catching up to them.