The Houston Astros have made no secret of their desire to add starting pitching this offseason, but navigating that need has been anything but straightforward. Financial limitations - especially with ownership’s firm stance on avoiding the luxury tax - have kept the front office walking a tightrope. While some high-profile names have been floated, the reality is clear: unless Jim Crane shifts course on payroll flexibility, Houston is more likely to target lower-cost, higher-risk arms than splashy headline-makers.
That’s what made the recent news about John Means so intriguing - and ultimately, so gut-wrenching.
Means, a left-hander with legitimate mid-rotation upside when healthy, has had a rough go with injuries over the years. But when he’s right, he’s more than capable of giving you six strong innings and putting a game on his shoulders. That made him a compelling buy-low candidate this winter - the kind of arm a team like Houston, looking to stretch every dollar, would at least kick the tires on.
But just as quickly as the rumor mill started to hum, it came to a screeching halt. Means tore his Achilles on the very day he was reportedly set to sign with a team - a brutal twist of fate that ends his 2026 season before it even began.
It's a heartbreaking development for a pitcher who’s already battled back from multiple Tommy John surgeries. And it throws a wrench into what seemed like a near-done deal.
Which brings us back to the Astros.
We don’t know which team Means was about to sign with, and he hasn’t named names. But given Houston’s need for starting depth - and their tendency to work quietly behind the scenes - it’s not hard to imagine they were at least in the mix. Means fits the financial profile of the kind of reclamation project the Astros have targeted in the past: talented, undervalued, and potentially available at a discount.
Still, there’s a counterpoint worth considering. Houston’s rotation is already riddled with health concerns.
Betting on another arm with a lengthy injury history - especially one coming off two Tommy John surgeries - might seem like a curious way to address that instability. If the goal is durability, Means wouldn’t exactly be the most obvious solution.
But sometimes, teams bet on upside. And in a market where frontline starters command top dollar, a pitcher like Means - with flashes of brilliance and a manageable price tag - can be an appealing gamble. Unfortunately, that gamble is now off the table for 2026.
For Means, it’s another tough break in a career that’s already seen more than its share of setbacks. For the Astros, it’s a reminder of how fragile the pitching market can be - and how quickly a potential solution can slip away. Whether or not Houston was the mystery team, the situation underscores the challenge they face: finding arms that can contribute without breaking the bank.
One thing’s for sure - if the Astros were close to landing Means, they’re back to square one. And with the offseason clock ticking, that search for rotation depth just got a little more complicated.