Astros Fire GM Dana Brown + AL Wild Card Chaos Continues

The Houston Astros have fired general manager Dana Brown as their season and the American League playoff race descend into chaos. DVR and Eno break down what went wrong for Houston, and what's next for their pitching plan and roster-building misses. Plus, the Dodgers lose Andy Pages for approximately four to five weeks, prompting a deeper discussion about outfield defense and how we should evaluate metrics like Outs Above Average, Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast Fielding Run Value.Then it's time to answer your mailbag questions. What has happened to Bryce Miller? Eno digs into Miller's declining velocity and inconsistent command — and explains why Kade Anderson's arrival creates even more pressure on Miller's rotation outlook. Plus, Andrew Painter's arsenal changes, Matthew Liberatore, Justin Martinez and the best fantasy baseball waiver-wire options for the stretch run.Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.socialFollow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.sociale-mail: [email protected] our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisExecutive Producer: McEnroe FrancisEditor: McEnroe Francis#houstonastros #dodgers #mlb #baseball #alwest #mlbplayoffs 00:00 Today on Rates & Barrels01:27 Chicago Meetup & Show Business03:05 AL Playoff Race Remains Total Chaos05:34 Could a Losing Team Make the Playoffs?07:39 Astros Fire GM Dana Brown09:03 What Has Changed Inside the Astros?09:49 Houston’s Analytics Brain Drain12:16 What Went Wrong Under Dana Brown?13:18 Astros’ Pitching Plan & Roster Misses15:20 Can Houston Build Another Contender?17:58 AL West Front Offices in Turmoil19:31 Can the Mariners Still Win the AL West?21:22 Dodgers Lose Andy Pages22:41 How Should We Measure Outfield Defense?27:41 Who Steps Up for the Dodgers?29:09 Is It Time to Move On From Bryce Miller?30:11 What’s Wrong With Bryce Miller?32:21 Kade Anderson Changes Miller’s Outlook34:00 Can You Still Start Bryce Miller?36:56 Jacob Lopez’s Surprising Run39:01 Has Cleveland Unlocked Joe Adell?40:13 Can Better Coaching Really Fix a Hitter?44:04 Kade Anderson’s First MLB Start46:15 Eno’s Kade Anderson Evaluation48:22 Is Kade Anderson Already Overvalued?51:06 Andrew Painter Is Making Real Changes52:57 Matthew Liberatore & Two-Start Pitchers56:15 Justin Martinez Returns57:32 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.