The Houston Astros' season ended in disappointment. After making the postseason for the last eight seasons, they will be watching playoff baseball from the comfort of their homes.
Injuries and a lack of discipline at the plate played a huge part in Houston's downfall this season. They were without key contributors like Yordan Alvarez and Josh Hader for some time, and the club had one of the worst walk rates across the MLB.
Things have to change over the winter, and manager Joe Espada knows that. He already has some plans for how to make the club better, and they involve their returning star, Carlos Correa.
Joe Espada to meet with Carlos Correa to finalize Astros' 2026 plans
Joe Espada is a manager who is not afraid to ask his players for their opinions. During the end-of-season press conference, the skipper admitted that he is planning to meet with Carlos Correa to go over how to improve the organization over the offseason, via The Athletic's Chandler Rome.
"He will be very much involved in my discussion of things we're going to address in spring training," said Espada. "I, personally, like to empower some of our leaders to have a say in how we're going to address aspects of our game we need to address."
Correa will have a say in what areas the team needs to address going into spring training. He could also have a say in who Houston looks at signing over the winter, much like other star players on other teams.
This will be an important offseason for the Astros. They have some holes to fill and must have a different plate approach going into the 2026 season if they want to return to their contender status.