Dan Szymborski takes a stab at predicting the not-too-distant future (Insider-Only) for the Astros, and predictably, it's not pretty.
As always, we don't like to pull too much from a pay-site, but there are a couple of nuggets we can pass along without giving away that Dumbledore will be Castro's backup, and Jim Crane will sign Hagrid as SP5 in 2012.
*After Monte Carlo-ing the season, the Astros "only" lost more games than the 1962 Mets 1.5% of the time.
*Altuve is picked for a 1.5 WAR season in 2012.
While this season is probably the club's nadir, next season will be a first -- albeit painful -- step back to respectability.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
