Houston Astros: 3 Ways the Astros Can Become Respectable Again

There are many reasons why the Houston Astros have fallen from baseball's summit to baseball's deepest trench since their 2005 World Series run. Hunter Pence and the Astros have cemented themselves in last place in the NL Central and are on pace to lose more than 100 games. 

Here are three ways to start the long trek back up the mountain to prominence—or at least respectability.

Find a Face for the Franchise

Hunter Pence has quickly become the fan favorite in Houston since the departure of long-time Astros Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt last season. He hits in the three hole and plays a mean right field.

Let's think back to the glory days of the Astros.

Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell were the pride and joy of Houston for different reasons. Biggio was a gritty hitter with more Gold Glove awards than he could pin on his old Astros cap. Bagwell was a powerful hitter that always provided run-producing damage with runners in scoring position. 

Hunter Pence is no Craig Biggio or Jeff Bagwell, but he is a little bit of both. He dons the dirtiest jersey in the organization since Biggio hung up his beloved No. 7 and has a very successful combination of power and average that reminds fans of what they lost in Bagwell. Pence is leading the Astros in nearly every offensive category and should be rewarded for his All-Star-caliber play.

I'm not saying he is the savior of the franchise, but he sure does have the tools to be the guy that can lead a team back to relevance. The Astros' first move this offseason should be to ink Hunter Pence, the hardest worker and fan favorite into the club's long-term future.

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

You cannot win if you cannot pitch. 

The Astros lead the major leagues in a number of embarassing statistics. They own an awful 37 percent save rate, blowing 17 of 27 opportunities and also offer up the league's most long balls at 97 through 79 games.

Those gaudy numbers probably have something to do with Brad Arnsberg's dismal as pitching coach June 14 in favor of ex-Astro Doug Brocail.

The first order of building a pitching staff is to have a nice balance of young arms as well as seasoned veterans. Fortunately, the Astros do have a few guys to build around. Bud Norris is settling in as a capable starting pitcher in his third year in the bigs. He throws two feisty swing-and-miss pitches that have earned him 100 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched thus far. Norris currently ranks seventh in the NL in that category, while also allowing a team-low 1.24 WHIP and an impressive 3.36 ERA. 

Jordan Lyles was the Astros' top prospect coming into this year and earned a call-up May 31 for a start against the Chicago Cubs. He is the youngest player in baseball at 20 years old and has handled himself well. He pitched effectively in his debut, but has yet to win his first major league game. He currently boasts a 4.75 ERA in his first six starts, while dropping to 0-3 with last night's loss to the Texas Rangers at home, 7-3.

Outside of Norris and Lyles, the Astros don't have much to be excited about on the rubber.

Mark Melancon has pitched well since coming over at the trade deadline from the Yankees in last year's Lance Berkman deal. He leads the team with five wins and six saves as the stand-in closer. Wilton Lopez has also seen success from the bullpen in 33 appearances as the set-up man.

Those two guys are the only ones in the bullpen that deserve high praise.

The Astros must find a way to trade veteran pitchers that return value to the league's worst pitching staff. Wandy Rodriguez has turned it on since his stint on the disabled list and should fetch some talent at next month's trade deadline. Brett Myers is another player that could be traded if he can prove his elbow is healthy and regains a glimmer of his outstanding season he posted last year.

I will be surprised if the Astros aren't active next month in searching for deals that can improve their farm system by moving established veterans that are wearing down good arms in the cellar of the NL Central.

Last but Definetly Not Least: Front Office Patience

Drayton McLane has finally sold the Astros to business man Jim Crane. The Astros have gone further with McLane than any other owner but have also sunk to the bottom with him. He has now sold the club for a reported $680 million and will be out of his Minute Maid Park office by season's end.

It is assumed that with a new owner comes a new front office.

Astros general manager Ed Wade still has his job, but who knows how hot that seat is. The first move Crane should make as owner is to fully evaluate all personnel and make sound decisions for the long term, rather than the short term. Houston got into this mess when McLane refused to rebuild a sliding team that had reached its peak in the 2005 World Series. 

Crane doesn't have the luxury of making that same mistake.

It will take great patience to rebuild this completely broken ball club. Not only is the major league team in last place, but virtually every minor league team in the Astros organization is also at the bottom of their standings. 

Bobby Heck and Wade seem to be enthusiastic about their last few draft classes, but it will take another year or two to get those guys up to major league standards. The highest priority is to not commit to trades and long-term contracts that cripple the team, all for the purpose of short-term success. 

We have seen the damage of that thinking for far too long in Houston, Texas—most notably following the 2005 season when the Astros traded their highest performing AAA players and a major league starter to Colorado for Jason Jennings. 

Jason Hirsch, Willy Taveras and Taylor Buchholz are not household names by any means, but trading three capable major league players for one pitcher past his prime is exactly what I am talking about.

Crane must make a concentrated effort to keep the Astros prospects in their system and allow them to reach their full potential, rather than trading them away as soon as they get their shot. 

Essentially, Jim Crane must do what Drayton McLane never could: Commit to rebuilding.