# Astros Fire GM Dana Brown + AL Wild Card Chaos Continues

An episode of [Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1486883874), 24 Aug 2026, 1 h 03 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/e/6a8ca367fd03a1f541bb1d64/media.mp3

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-2026 Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis Editor: McEnroe Francis #houstonastros #dodgers #mlb #baseball #alwest #mlbplayoffs 00:00 Today on Rates & Barrels 01:27 Chicago Meetup & Show Business 03:05 AL Playoff Race Remains Total Chaos 05:34 Could a Losing Team Make the Playoffs? 07:39 Astros Fire GM Dana Brown 09:03 What Has Changed Inside the Astros? 09:49 Houston’s Analytics Brain Drain 12:16 What Went Wrong Under Dana Brown? 13:18 Astros’ Pitching Plan & Roster Misses 15:20 Can Houston Build Another Contender? 17:58 AL West Front Offices in Turmoil 19:31 Can the Mariners Still Win the AL West? 21:22 Dodgers Lose Andy Pages 22:41 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 Outlook 34:00 Can You Still Start Bryce Miller? 36:56 Jacob Lopez’s Surprising Run 39:01 Has Cleveland Unlocked Joe Adell? 40:13 Can Better Coaching Really Fix a Hitter? 44:04 Kade Anderson’s First MLB Start 46:15 Eno’s Kade Anderson Evaluation 48:22 Is Kade Anderson Already Overvalued? 51:06 Andrew Painter Is Making Real Changes 52:57 Matthew Liberatore & Two-Start Pitchers 56:15 Justin Martinez Returns 57:32 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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