For nearly all of the past decade, Houston was a "divisional opponent" that every other AL West team would have to develop a game plan against. Each year they would utilize their vast wealth of depth and pitching talent, as well as casually add high-impact bats to the mix, while the remainder of the division could only hope for table scraps.
In contrast, now the defending division champions in Seattle are preparing themselves for another serious run at the division title, while the Astros are... attempting to cut corners by relying on the trade market to bail them out.