Astros' panic at trade deadline signals that Houston knows the window may be closing

Can we just admit it? The Houston Astros panicked at the deadline. General manager Dana Brown saw the Astros' need for a starting pitcher and he grossly overpaid for two months of Yusei Kikuchi. If only he'd shown that same sense of urgency while negotiating with the Tampa Bay Rays for Yandy Diaz.

While Brown and the Astros front office were certainly swindled at the MLB trade deadline, Houston may have good reason to panic. None of their stars are getting any younger, and frankly, many are getting more expensive.

So while many of the fans throughout H-Town are angry that Brown and the Astros' front office overpaid for Kikuchi, this may be the last hurrah of sorts. Is the Astros' window to bring back the World Series trophy closing?

Astros' panic at MLB trade deadline is justified

The Astros are about to lose one of their best players to free agency this winter when Alex Bregman inevitably leaves for a multi-million payday. Based on what Xander Bogaerts received less than two years ago, you can bet your bottom dollar that Bregman will be seeking a nine-figure deal that begins with a two.

Justin Verlander isn't getting any younger, and it's questionable how effective he'll be (if he ever returns from the IL). Verlander could always re-sign this coming offseason, but there's a better chance that the former Cy Young Award-winner hangs up his cleats at season's end.

There's also two key contributors — Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez — who'll be entering the final year of their arbitration window heading into next season. It's difficult to see the Astros shelling out enough money to keep both players, so one of Tucker or Valdez may be playing their last year in Space City during the 2025 season.

So yeah, the Astros panicked at the deadline. It's quite similar to the reaction the organization had when Kendall Graveman went down for the season and Houston handed over $95 million to Josh Hader. This seems to be a theme with Brown and the Astros front office, doesn't it?

So while there may have been better deals to be made or other pitchers to target, at least Houston did something about their injury-riddled rotation. If Kikuchi can at least be a stabilizing force for a pitching staff that's been anything but steady this season, perhaps the overpay will be worth it if it helps to being another championship back to Houston.

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