Houston Astros: Will Brady Rodgers see the MLB next season?

The Houston Astros possess an abundance of serviceable pitchers in the minor leagues. Brady Rodgers is one of the more prominent ones, but it’s unsure whether he will reach the big leagues again on for the World Series champions.

Brady Rodgers logged just 8 1/3 innings during his lone stint in the MLB in 2016. But he didn’t fare well, forcing the Houston Astros to send him back down to the minors.

And after suffering a season-ending injury required Tommy-John surgery, it was clear he wouldn’t make it back to the pros in 2017. However, he could essentially provide a boost for the World Series winners at some point next season.

Houston doesn’t lack a formidable pitching staff. Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander are an imposing one-two punch. The rest of the rotation is still very good, though a fifth starter may not be named until around March.

It is still a luxury to have MLB-ready pitchers in the minors primed to make an impact in case they are needed. And Rodgers is just that, if he pitches as well as he did prior to his injury.

Sources disclosed that the 27-year-old should be ready come 2018. Rodgers ultimately went down on in May of this year and has been rehabbing since then.

The right-hander was electric during the 2016 season, claiming the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year award. He posted impressive numbers few Fresno Grizzlies fans had seen before. He boasted a 12-4 record with a 2.86 ERA and 116 strikeouts – just 23 walks – in 132 innings.

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Rodgers still has some improvements to make as he continues his rehab, such as his hit-and-miss stuff. Despite piecing together a fine season in Triple-A that year, he still allowed more than eight hits and racked up fewer than eight strikeouts per nine innings.

The Astros don’t necessarily possess starting pitchers with excellent strikeout rates. Keuchel is one of the league’s best even though he didn’t even amass more than 8.5 K/9 during his Cy Young season. Thus, Rodgers – similar to someone like Dan Straily – can succeed.

Rodgers throws several pitches, so that could be another alteration in the works. His off-speed stuff is critical, considering his fastball rarely reaches the mid-90s. But he wields a changeup, curveball, sinker, cutter and slider in his arsenal. Yet, pitchers value quality over quantity. 

Nevertheless, Houston won’t need him unless possibly for a deep postseason run. The Astros sported the sixth-best ERA among starters this past season. And that was with some rocky outings from Joe Musgrove and Mike Fiers in the back end of the rotation.

Yet, while the club has a glut of serviceable starters, durability is an issue. Nearly all of Houston’s starting pitchers spent time on the disabled list in 2017. Younger guys like Francis Martes and David Paulino received innings in their absences.

As he reaches the 30-year-old mark, Rodgers could be a viable option if injuries emerge once again. Some analysts believe pitchers peak around that age, which could be the case for the veteran minor leaguer.

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Any pitcher that returns from a Tommy-John surgery is worth noting. Hopefully for Rodgers, he can find a way to contribute while on the Astros.

However, that could mean being a prime piece in a future trade deal, as Rodgers could also be invaluable to other teams around the league.