Attendance numbers showing Astros’ offseason gambit is hurting their bottom line

The Houston Astros tried to pull off what they sold as a balancing act this past offseason, threading the needle between rebuilding and contending. The "retooling" effort, which owner Jim Crane would have you believe had nothing to do with avoiding the luxury tax, saw fixtures such as Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Justin Verlander shown the door in favor of cheaper options.

What Crane and the rest of the Astros brass were really saying is that profits trump on-field production, though they hoped they could have their cake and eat it too. However, the early returns show they may end up with neither.

On the field, the Astros are an underwhelming 18-18 through their first 36 games. Marquee free-agent signee, Christian Walker began the year in a horrid slump that he is only just now showing signs of breaking free from. Meanwhile, the jewel of the Kyle Tucker trade, Cam Smith, is striking out over 30% of the time, while the other major piece of that deal, Isaac Paredes, has been just average.

Now, the Astros are starting to feel the ripple effects of their offseason business decisions hitting their bottom line. The club is seeing its lowest home attendance numbers since COVID, with attendance down three percent from last year's numbers at this point in time.

The excuses are many, but the Astros' stinginess is to blame for the attendance downturn

Economic uncertainty, historically more robust attendance in the summer months when kids are out of school and families can more easily attend games, and the draw of the opponent are all reasons that the attendance may be down. They're also just that, excuses.

The last eight years have been a run of dominance from Houston. They've had a stranglehold on the AL West, winning the division seven of the past eight seasons. During that time, they've also taken home four AL pennants and two World Series titles. What fans wanted to see was the team continuing to mash the gas pedal. Instead what they got were half-measures.

The Astros still have some star power. Yordan Alvarez, despite a slow start and an ailing hand, is still one of the best five hitters in baseball until proven otherwise. Hunter Brown is enjoying a breakout season, which is putting him at the front of the pack for the AL Cy Young crown. But it's not enough.

What fans wanted to see was the team invest in it's present and it's future. They wanted to see the likes of Hunter Brown paired with icons like Justin Verlander. They want to see Alvarez continue to grow along side a cornerstone like Alex Bregman. They wanted to see Kyle Tucker leading MVP chases in Daikin park.

Instead, they got upside plays and budget-friendly options, which to this point haven't paid off. If the club can't start putting more W's than L's on the board, and soon, they're going to watch more and more fans tune out as the division looks more and more up for grabs than in years past.

In the end, Crane and company might come to find out that not spending big to retain their stars cost significantly more than simply opening up the check book.

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