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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

6 Reasonable Goals for Houston Astros in 2012 - Bleacher Report

The 2012 Houston Astros are doing much better than expected thus far, and there are a few reasonable goals that the club can reach by the end of the season at this pace.

After a horrendous 2011 campaign that saw the club go 56-106, the franchise has rebounded thanks to new ownership and a plethora of young players.

The club certainly won’t be competing for a World Series this year, but so far they are on pace to turn things around in a big way over the course of the next couple seasons. If the Astros can meet a few realistic goals this season it would go a long way to completing the rebuilding process.

Here are six reasonable goals for the Houston Astros franchise in 2012:

Don’t Finish Last in the NL Central

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Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Last season the Houston Astros found themselves in the cellar of the National League Central by a large margin. A 40-game margin to be exact.

When a club finishes 40 games out of first place in the division it’s hard to imagine the team doing any better the next year. A team finishing that far back clearly has a lot of issues from top to bottom throughout the organization.

Right now the Astros find themselves with a 15-19 record and only five games out of first place. At this pace the Astros can finish in fourth or fifth place by the end of the season.

After last year’s disastrous performance, finishing above last place would do wonders for the morale of the players and fans. 

Improve on Last Year’s Record

CINCINNATI, OH - APRIL 29: Jed Lowrie #4 of the Houston Astros celebrates with Travis Buck #6 after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 29, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds came
Joe Robbins/Getty Images

As mentioned, the Houston Astros managed to lose 106 games last season, and finish 40 games behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers. It was the first time in franchise history the team has finished with over 100 losses.

That has to improve in 2012. The Astros have a nice young core in place, and the record should improve this year.

It’s hard to see the club losing 100 games again because of the solid pieces in place, and it’s a realistic goal to finish better than last season because a team can’t get much worse.

Acquire Elite Prospects at the Trade Deadline

HOUSTON, TX - MAY 08: Brett Myers #39 of the Houston Astros high fives catcher Jason Castro #15 after the final out in the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins on May 8, 2012 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Houston defeats Miami 3-2.(Photo by Bob
Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Houston Astros have a few veterans that could be hot commodities at the trading deadline for teams in contention. The club would be wise to ship these veterans off for the best possible prospects to continue improving the roster.

One candidate especially comes to mindâ€"closing pitcher Brett Myers. Right now he is playing outstanding baseball. In 12 games Myers has accumulated nine saves and an impressive 1.42 ERA.

Moving Myers makes sense financially because he is currently on a two-year, $23 million contract. Various contending teams could use a closer like Myers and would potentially give up an elite prospect in return.

If the Astros are out of playoff contention at the trading deadline as they should be, letting go of Myers for an elite prospect would do wonders for the team financially and into the future.  

Hit More Home Runs

HOUSTON - APRIL 07: J.D. Martinez #14 of the Houston Astros receives congratulations from third base coach Dave Clark after hitting a home run against the Colorado Rockies at Minute Maid Park on April 7, 2012 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty
Bob Levey/Getty Images

Last year the Houston Astros only managed to hit 95 home runs, which is probably a big factor in why they lost over 100 games. The horrible number was the second-worst home run total in the MLB.

The Astros have to improve on that number if they want to be competitive this year. They have already hit 22 over the fence this year, but that’s still in the bottom half of the MLB.

Minute Maid Park is a friendly park for hitters. The club has to do a better job of hitting the long-ball to produce more offensively. At the current pace the club should be able to beat the total from a year ago, but by how much is still up in the air. 

Improve on Last Year’s Attendance

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Scott Boehm/Getty Images

Attendance is a vastly underrated part of a team finding success at home in the MLB. A loud crowd can have a negative impact on the opposition and encourage the home team. A lot of empty seats can have a negative impact on the home team.

Last season the Houston Astros mustered a 31-50 home record while accumulating just over two million in attendance over 81 games, good for a 25,518 average attendance which ranked them 19 in the MLB.

This season the Astros are doing even worse, ranking 24 in the MLB with about a 22,000 average. This has to improve for the team to stay competitive.

Right now the team is more competitive than last season but is doing worse attendance wise. As the team continues to show they are better than last year it isn’t out of the question that more fans will begin to show up.

The fanbase is potentially upset over the move to the American League, and understandably so. But it has to be hard for fans to continue to not support a young team giving its all every night.  

Allow Promising Minor League Players to See Extensive Time in MLB

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Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Houston Astros are currently experiencing a youth movement led by outfielder J.D. Martinez and second baseman Jose Altuve that has seen the club be unexpectedly competitive.

There’s no reason to stop the movement now.

The Astros have a somewhat impressive farm system now with a few players that deserve to be called up. These young guys could contribute right away and be molded into every day players for next year.

Prospects like pitchers Paul Clemens and Jordan Lyles, along with first baseman Brett Wallace are already on the 40-man roster. They must stay there to gain invaluable experience to contribute next season. 

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