Some random baseball thoughts while waiting for the American League Championship Series to resume Tuesday. …

The Astros-Yankees series is already shaping up to be a classic. After being pounded into submission by New York in Game 1, Houston countered with an epic 3-2 win in 11 innings Sunday night. “There was never going to be 0-2,” MVP candidate Alex Bregman said after the win.

It was after midnight in the East when Carlos Correa’s home run ended the game, making it exactly one year to the day since the Red Sox won Game 2 against the Astros to even the 2018 ALCS. Houston never won another game, losing all three at home. Now the Yankees are facing a similar situation. …

Jackie Bradley Jr. won the MVP of that ALCS in 2018. Now many fans want him traded away. Bradley has become one of the most polarizing players in town – some people love him, some can’t stand the inconsistencies of his offense. Just keep this in mind – if the Sox wind up moving Mookie Betts this winter, they’re probably going to need help defensively in the outfield next season. And there isn’t a better defensive outfielder in the game.

A lot of people continue to wonder how the Red Sox even could consider trading Betts, one of the best players in the game. It has nothing to do with whether they want him here. Who wouldn’t want him? It’s a question of whether he’s willing to sign a contract here. If not, the team owes it to itself to see what it can get for him.

Then it needs to weigh the value of that trade vs. the value of having one more year of Betts, knowing he may leave for nothing.

That value of one season of Betts might be worth more than a trade. Or it might not.

Keep an eye on the Braves when you’re weighing that option. Atlanta might be willing to offer an enticing package after its stunning loss to the Cardinals in the NLDS. The Braves trailed 10-0 before batting in the decisive Game 5.

The Braves have the kind of major and minor league pitching depth that could make them a perfect trade partner with Boston. Losing Betts would hurt the offense, but the Red Sox had plenty of offense last year and won only 84 games. They need better pitching on the big league roster – and more depth in the upper levels of their farm system – to get the team back on track in 2020 and years to come. …

J.D. Martinez has five days after the World Series to announce if he’s opting out of his contract with Boston. His agent, Scott Boras, consistently has said he believes there are always contracts available for elite hitters like Martinez. It seems pretty clear he believes he could get more than the $62.5 million due Martinez over the next three years.

Red Sox fans seem to almost want Martinez gone next year, hoping that will increase the chances of signing Betts. Just remember: In the last two seasons, not a single major league hitter has driven in more runs than Martinez. That’s a lot of production to lose. …

It was no surprise the Red Sox announced changes in the coaching staff last week. Three coaches were taken off the staff, with two reassigned as scouts. It’s never fair when underpaid, hard-working coaches become the fall guys for underperforming players. But here we are. The same coaches who helped this team win a franchise-record 108 games and a championship a year ago are now the reason the Sox missed the postseason.

The replacement for Dana LeVangie might want to rent when he chooses a place to live in Boston. He will be the team’s eighth pitching coach in 11 years. The last pitching coach to last three full seasons in Boston was John Farrell. …

Pitchers and catchers report in 120 days. Stay warm out there.

Tom Caron is a studio host for Red Sox broadcasts on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.

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