Crush City Territory: A Houston Astros Podcast

As Yordan Alvarez continues his MVP season, it's worth noting the production of the two men who sandwich him in Houston's batting order: shortstop Jeremy Peña and third baseman Isaac Paredes. Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss that big three, Cam Smith's inactive weekend and whether Bryan Abreu is entering the team's circle of bullpen trust.

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Yordan Alvarez has a comfortable lead atop all three American League Triple Crown leaderboards and is cruising toward an AL MVP. Shouldn't that almost mandate the Astros to add talent around him at the Aug. 3 trade deadline? Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Alvarez's season and how influential his dominance may be as the deadline approaches before analyzing Ronel Blanco's return to the starting rotation and another potential corner turned from Tatsuya Imai.

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The Astros came back from the All Star break with a whimper, scoring six runs in 29 innings during a three-game sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles. How much, if at all, does this change Houston's trade deadline calculus? Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss whether the Astros would ever engaged in a full-scale selloff, the most realistic scenario for the deadline and what players could move. 

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After they tried to trade him for months, the Houston Astros finally found a taker for Lance McCullers Jr. on Wednesday, trading him to the Milwaukee Brewers alongside pitcher Colton Gordon in exchange for Jadyn Fielder — the son of six-time All-Star Prince Fielder. The Athletic's Chandler Rome discusses why the Astros traded McCullers and what they'll do in his absence before analyzing McCullers' legacy to Houston's golden era.

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The Astros finished an underwhelming first-half 47-51, but still with a real chance to make the postseason within a weak American League. Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins The Athletic's Chandler Rome to grade the team's offense, pitching staff and management on their first-half performance. Reddick then remembers his many battles with retiring Astros legend Justin Verlander before calling into question one of MLB's decisions during the Home Run Derby. 

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The Astros finished an underwhelming first half with an underwhelming 2-4 road trip through Washington and Arlington, leaving the club four games under .500, but somehow still within legitimate striking distance of a playoff spot. The Crawfish Boxes' Adam Spolane joins The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss the first half as a whole, best and worst moments and the difficult decisions forthcoming for general manager Dana Brown. 

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The Astros have the American League's worst rotation — and now must confront some difficult questions at the All-Star break. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the continued struggles of Spencer Arrighetti and Tatsuya Imai and what the team could do to reinvigorate its rotation before analyzing the end of Justin Verlander's Hall of Fame career and Yordan Alvarez's desire to never play for another team. 

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Mike Burrows had his worst start of a brutal first half, prompting serious questions about where the Astros go from here in their rotation. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome try to answer some of them, including whether Burrows would be better served in the minor leagues, how Cristian Javier fits in all of this and the dilemma Joe Espada faces each night. Stafford and Rome also discuss Yordan Alvarez's continued pursuit of the Triple Crown and the decision to option Jake Meyers.

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The Astros have one of baseball's least-productive outfields and a pitching staff without much stability behind reigning Cy Young finalist Hunter Brown. Which area deserves the most attention at the trade deadline? Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome debate that topic, the true value of popular trade target AJ Blubaugh, the role that returning pitchers will play and how much Dana Brown's job status factors into all of this. 

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Tatsuya Imai's enigmatic season continued with another clunker against the Minnesota Twins. Cristian Javier is making his long-awaited return — but as a reliever. And the Astros are fielding trade calls on several members of their bullpen, including AJ Blubaugh. Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss the predicament, why Javier is becoming a reliever and what the best path forward may be in trades.

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