If Jim Crane was willing and able to go full Steve Cohen this winter, and blow through the luxury cap, I wouldn’t be writing this article. However, the Houston Astros have payroll constraints that preclude any big splashes in the free agent market. Concurrently, the Astros have a very thin farm system and they do not have the prospects to safely trade for an impact major leaguer. This may be hard for fans to accept, but there is no way to significantly improve the 2024 roster without seriously jeopardizing the future of the team.
Otto Von Bismarck once opined that “politics is the art of the possible, the attainable-the art of the next best”.