The Astros are offically a Triple-A team

[Blitz Dorsey]

(Cue the "Haven't they been for a couple years now?" jokes.)

Beginning the 2010 season, they had Oswalt, Berkman, Pence and Bourn. A year-and-a-half later, they have all been traded.

That team is going to be NL Central cellar-dwellers for years to come. Well, unless they move to the AL (so there are an equal-amount of teams in each league) as has been rumored. But I don't think that will happen since there would have to be interleague play pretty much all year. I could hear people saying "Well, the AL is stronger anyway, so it's fair that they only have 14 teams while the NL has 16." It is weird that the NL Central has six teams while the AL West has just four. Moving the Astros to the AL West would even things up and there would be a natural rivalry with Houston/Texas Rangers.

Anyway, the Astros were a thorn in our side for so many years and it's odd to see them completely fall apart. Have to admit I'm liking it though.

[_Sir_Charles_]

AAA? The Bats would crush them. Try AA. Look at their pitching staff, look at their bench, look at their bullpen. LOL. It's gotten to the point where it's just funny. And yes, I love it too. :O)

[BCubb2003]

Let's wait until after the Reds' series with the Astros, just to be sure.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

They better sweep the AAA Astros.

[CySeymour]

It's debatable that the two worst teams in MLB are in the NL Central, the Astros and Cubs.

[Always Red]

Let's wait until after the Reds' series with the Astros, just to be sure.

If we lose the series, would that make the Reds a AA team?

[BuckeyeRedleg]

16 games left vs. the Cubs and Astros.

Go at least 13-3 and the Reds still might have a chance this year.

[MikeThierry]

Anyway, the Astros were a thorn in our side for so many years and it's odd to see them completely fall apart. Have to admit I'm liking it though.

I'm not really in the same boat as you are. Yeah they were a thorn in the side of all the NL Central teams, but I just hate seeing once proud organizations stoop to what they are now. I remember those amazing playoff series with the Stros in the mid-2000's. Many of those playoff games between the Cards and Astros were truely epic. Yet, I have always appreciated many of their players from afar (Berkman, Bagwell, Biggio, etc). I, for one, don't enjoy seeing that organization turn into another Kansas City Royals or Seattle Mariners.

[mdccclxix]

I'm not really in the same boat as you are. Yeah they were a thorn in the side of all the NL Central teams, but I just hate seeing once proud organizations stoop to what they are now. I remember those amazing playoff series with the Stros in the mid-2000's. Many of those playoff games between the Cards and Astros were truely epic. Yet, I have always appreciated many of their players from afar (Berkman, Bagwell, Biggio, etc). I, for one, don't enjoy seeing that organization turn into another Kansas City Royals or Seattle Mariners.

I love it. The Cards are next!

Let's not forget how sure we alll were about the Pirates AAA team going into this year though...

[OldXOhio]

If HOU were to somehow put Carlos Lee on someone today, I would call their deadline work a huge success. As it stands I still like what they've done....start over and work towards being competitive again in 2013.

[corkedbat]

Cozart, Alonso, Frazier, Sappelt, Meseraco, Boxberger...come September, we might bear a slight resmblance too.

Honestly though, I would't mind seeing all of these guys get a long look over the course of the next two months or so. I think that this is Phase II in the process of making this fanchise a serious contender (Phase I being Votto, Bruce, Heisey, Cueto, Bailey, Leake, Chapman, etc.). Phase III would be adding the right mix or young vets to fill three or four obvious holes and maybe a stopgap or two.

I'd rather see several of the young'uns listed than watch more of the same. Who knows, a shot of enthusiam might just swing things around this year (not saying it would be enough to win the division), Never to early.late to head in the right direction.

[Redsfan320]

Just saw this Heyman tweet on the bottom of the screen on MLB Network:

#Astros look good for 2017

320

[MikeThierry]

Just saw this Heyman tweet on the bottom of the screen on MLB Network:





320

Ahh, so I see the Astros are taking the old Soviet Union, 10 year plan approach to baseball. The Russian politburo would be proud.

[mbgrayson]

Also, the Astros traded away the great Jeff Keppinger.