It is an early offseason for the Houston Astros after an embarrassing performance in the American League Wild Card Round against the Chicago White Sox.
Despite being the higher seed and having the home-field advantage, the Astros crashed out of the playoffs in flames, as the White Sox defeated Houston by a combined margin of 13-6 in two games. As the White Sox move on to the next round of the postseason in search of their first World Series title since 2005, the Astros plunge straight into an offseason with some big questions to ponder.
A dilemma for the Astros in the coming months is also seemingly raised by Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
Article Continues Below“The Astros lost 7-3. They were swept in the Wild Card series and finish the 2026 season 81-83. A fascinating winter awaits for a franchise that may finally have to confront its competitive crossroads,” Rome wrote in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter following Houston's 7-3 loss to the White Sox in Game 2 on Wednesday at Daikin Park in Houston.
The Astros were 11 games below at 20-31 in late May but had a surge big enough to get themselves to the playoffs by topping the AL Central Division with an 81-81 record in the regular season. Even then, they weren't exactly viewed as a big favorite to make a run all the way into the World Series, and that notion was on full display in the wild-card series against the White Sox.
The brutal outcome of their trip to the postseason could lead the Astros into fully embracing a rebuild in the offseason. But that can be better answered once Houston crosses out another big offseason priority, which is finding a new general manager after parting ways with Dana Brown in August.