Crush City Territory: A Houston Astros Podcast

New Astros general manager Randy Flores introduced himself to the city during a press conference on Monday morning alongside owner Jim Crane. Flores flashed charisma, charm and showed he was in full control of the room and his message. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Flores' first impression, the questions Crane answered and muse where the Astros go from here in the Flores era.

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The Astros surprised some in their organization and most of their fanbase by hiring Randy Flores as their new general manager. Flores is a longtime Cardinals executive who has a lot of work to do in little time. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Flores' hire and what happened with Brewers executive Matt Kleine, who had been the Astros' leading candidate.

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The World Series is over, the offseason has begun and the Astros still do not have a general manager. Might that soon change? Milwaukee Brewers executive Matt Kleine has emerged as a serious front runner for the job. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss where things stand with Kleine and the rest of Houston's search for a general manager before analyzing the news that Tatsuya Imai has opted in to his $18 million contract for the 2027 season.

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The Astros still need both a general manager and manager, but also must grapple with the impending loss of their setup man, reliable southpaw reliever and only trade deadline acquisition. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the five players who won't return to the 2027 Astros, including longtime setup man Bryan Abreu, left-hander Steven Okert, backup catcher Christian Vázquez and center fielder Daulton Varsho. Will shortstop Jeremy Peña or Isaac Paredes join that list?

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There are at least seven known candidates for the Astros' vacant GM job — and a resolution could be coming soon. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the candidates who've interviewed with Jim Crane, a possible timeline for Crane's decision, Matt Kleine's well-chronicled walk on a red carpet and the commonalities shared by all of the people vying for this fascinating job.

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Dan Hennigan left his role as the Astros' offensive coordinator in early August for a spot on Wake Forest's coaching staff. Hennigan joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss his decision to leave and his time spent with the 2026 Astros, including insight on Yordan Alvarez, Cam Smith, Jose Altuve and the strides the Astros can make heading into a fascinating 2027 season.

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The Astros made the inevitable official on Wednesday, parting ways with manager Joe Espada after three seasons as Houston's skipper and nine in the organization. The decision leaves Houston without a manager or general manager, but the search for a GM is picking up steam. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome react to Espada's dismissal, remember his tenure and discuss what's next for a franchise that remains in flux.

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The Astros finished 2026 with the second-most walks in baseball, the sixth-highest ERA in the sport and a pitching staff shrouded with uncertainty. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome break down what went right for the pitching staff, what went wrong and what the new baseball operations department must ponder when piecing together the 2027 roster. Among the questions: should the team shop Josh Hader? Are both Peter Lambert and Hayden Wesneski reliable? Will Tatsuya Imai opt into his contract?

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Eight days after their season ended, the Houston Astros are still shrouded in silence. The future of manager Joe Espada remains in flux, as does the team's search for a new general manager. Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss the state of the organization, the difficult decisions ahead for both Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve as well as the future of shortstop Jeremy Peña.

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After the Houston Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox in the Wild Card Series, attention turns to the future of both the organization and manager Joe Espada. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Espada's uncertain status and when a decision may be rendered before beginning to analyze some of the team's most pressing questions prior to 2027.

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The Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox in an embarrassing showing during the Wild Card Series, complete with booing from the Daikin Park crowd and a few players barking back at it. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the end of the 2026 season, the booing and atmosphere at Daikin Park and the fascinating offseason that lies ahead for a franchise at a competitive crossroads.

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Despite an 81-81 season that featured every form of adversity, the Houston Astros are American League West champions for the eighth time in 10 seasons. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the Astros' division title, what it took to get there and Yordan Alvarez's incredible season before beginning a preview of their Wild Card opponent the Chicago White Sox.

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Tyler Stafford is joined by comedian, author, and long-suffering Seattle Mariners fan Dustin Nickerson to discuss the agony of a disappointing baseball season as a fan. They (attempt to) settle the trash can debate, Jose Altuve’s legacy, and many other topics in a wide-ranging and fun conversation.

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Playing in his 16th major-league game, Astros rookie outfielder Lucas Spence may have saved the team's season. He became the third player in MLB history to hit the first three home runs of his career in one game — an incredible performance that propelled the Astros to a win they desperately needed. Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss Spence's stunning performance, the state of the team with three games remaining, Josh Hader's heavy workload and Daulton Varsho's season-ending injury.

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To open a season-defining road trip, the Astros played their most complete game of September with a 7-0 win against the Seattle Mariners. Concern is still mounting, though, after Cristian Javier, Daulton Varsho, Brice Matthews and Jeremy Peña all had injury scares. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss how the team can overcome the injuries and what it may do next to bolster its roster before giving some love to Isaac Paredes, who is on pace for a career year.

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After being swept by the Braves, the Astros no longer control their playoff destiny. The sobering three games forced the often-reserved Yordan Alvarez to call a team meeting and speak up. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Alvarez's frustration and the state of a teetering Astros team that must save its season during a six-game road trip through Seattle and Sacramento.

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Yordan Alvarez hit his 40th home run of the season on Thursday, becoming the fifth player in Astros history with a 40-homer season while reigniting the debate about his AL MVP candidacy. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Alvarez's status in the MVP race and where his 40 home runs rank in Astros history before reacting to the news that Carlos Correa will not return to the club this season.

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Carlos Correa's potential return as a second baseman illustrates the complications presented by Houston's roster construction. Those problems aren't going away, either, and it will be up to Houston's new general manager to solve them. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the biggest priority for whoever the Astros hire to be their GM — whether it is the aforementioned roster construction, thin farm system or simply knowing whether or not they have autonomy to make decisions.

Read Chandler's story about Carlos Correa and the Astros roster crunch here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7595192/2026/09/15/carlos-correa-return-astros-gm-challenge/?unlocked_article_code=1.BVE.zuLK.j1OLLrIzStJM&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

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The Tampa Bay Rays, armed with the best record in the American League, outclassed the Astros in a series sweep at Tropicana Field that pared Houston's AL West lead to one game. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the three-game series, Yordan Alvarez's ankle-related absence, Jeremy Peña's continued struggles and manager Joe Espada's decision to not intentionally walk Junior Caminero in the series opener. The two then discuss the revelation that Carlos Correa could play second base upon his return to the team.

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Cam Smith homered in all three games of the Astros' series win in Philadelphia, including a go-ahead, solo shot in the ninth inning on Thursday against Phillies closer Jhoan Duran. Is the aircraft carrier finally breaking out? Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss that, Yordan Alvarez's continued power outage, Hunter Brown's late-season switch to becoming a sinkerballer and Carlos Correa's continued progress as he attempts to make a late-season return.

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