Locked On Astros

AL West rivals heat up as the Seattle Mariners land Brendan Donovan, raising the pressure on the Houston Astros’ quest to reclaim the division crown. With Donovan possibly anchoring second base and leading off for a revamped Mariners lineup, Eric Huysman questions whether the Astros’ off-season pitching moves and lineup tweaks are enough to keep pace—or if health and roster depth still pose the biggest test.Eric Huysman breaks down Astros rotation battles featuring Hunter Brown, Christian Javier, Mike Burrows, and Lance McCullers Jr. while spotlighting potential regression and the need for supplemental arms like Ryan Weiss and AJ Blubaugh. Key talking points include the impact of losing Framber Valdez, the fan-favorite Isaac Paredes trade dilemma, and FanGraphs’ projections giving the Astros just a 21% chance to win the AL West. Are the Mariners now the team to beat, or can the Astros defy the odds and return to dominance?Locked On Astros is your daily Houston Astros podcast, hosted by Eric Huysman and Brett