How’s this for irony? The very man who once tormented Astros pitching, is now on the cusp of filling out the lineup card along Crawford Street. It’s a head turner, it’s Albert Pujols. Back in the day, this would be the equivalent of letting Mean Joe Greene coach the Oilers or having Karl Malone in a Rockets uniform. Yet here we are. The future first ballot hall of famer is generating some serious buzz and could be introduced as early as next week.
It’s been 38 days since the Astros were knocked out
of the playoffs. Now, Jim Crane is looking to deliver a knockout blow of his own. The Pujols resume is stacked, 22 seasons, 703 home runs, a trio of MVPs, with 11 All-Star appearances. Oh, there’s also a pair of titles from 2006 & 2011. On the managerial front, he’s led Leones del Escogido to the Dominican Winter League title in a thrilling seven game series.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale has been covering baseball since 1986. He joins us exclusively at The Crawfish Boxes as the rumor mill swirls around Prince Albert.
Q: Was this the plan all along? Identify the GM and then follow it up quickly with a managerial hire?
A: You definitely want the GM to be hired ahead of the manager since the GM will be the manager’s boss. It would have been extremely awkward to have Flores named after they name a manager in the upcoming days.
Q: Is it going to be a tough transition for Randy Flores working under Jim Crane and his various advisors?
A: Every GM wants to win, and the Astros have won as many as any team in baseball over the past decade. It’s a coveted job with owner Jim Crane always aggressively wanting to win. They have plenty of assets to trade, as well, if they choose to go that route. But I would imagine that the Astros will keep the team largely intact from 2026.
Q: Would the Pujols hire energize the masses in H-Town? When we last saw this club, there were several thousand no-shows during the Sox elimination series.
A: The interest is real and the Astros are moving fast. Everyone in that clubhouse respects him and with that, everything else falls into place.
Approximately 90 seconds into Anchorman, The Legend of Ron Burgundy, actor Will Ferrell yells “Cannonball” diving into the pool, making a gigantic splash. This is the Astros “cannonball moment”, and this might be their biggest move yet. It just happens to be the man who crushed 62 career home runs against them during his playing career.
