Houston Astros: What high-end starters are available for purchase?
By Kyle Cardoza
There are still several top-tier pitchers on the market this offseason. The Houston Astros want one of them, as they are now in search of another ace pitcher.
The Houston Astros, despite winning the World Series last year, are not satisfied with their roster. Multiple sources indicated Monday that the Texas team hopes to make a big splash in the coming weeks.
Houston’s powerhouse offense isn’t the focus anymore. Instead, the club hopes to reel in a prominent starting pitcher to add to a staff headed by Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel.
Among the several pitchers available, the Astros seemed dialed in on Gerrit Cole, who was supposedly going to sport pinstripes up until this point. Talks with Yu Darvish stalled – the epitome of this offseason.
If the front office desires a top-tier starter, a trade will be more likely. The two notable names, Darvish and Jake Arrieta are still free agents. But they will require spending big money, someone the Astros aren’t fond of doing.
Astros owner Jim Crane: Astros are “actively pursuing a high end starter.” pic.twitter.com/plApE8uPkW
— Alyson Footer (@alysonfooter) January 8, 2018
The team’s highest-paid pitcher not acquired via trade, such as Verlander, is Keuchel, who made a shade less than $10 million last season. Darvish should sign for more than $20 million a year, with Arrieta not far below that range.
Hence, there’s a reason why Cole is the main target, though others could be on Houston’s mind as well. Danny Salazar, Chris Archer and Jeff Samardzija are just a few hurlers on the trade block at this point.
Sources linked the Astros and Archer together for the past few years, but the price is likely too high. The Indians might not want to deal Salazar to a main competitor, despite the fact that it would receive high-end young players in return. The Shark is a wild-card, mostly because he wouldn’t cost as much, though he is coming off a sub-par season.
Some analysts linked Derek Fisher as a piece to be moved, but Marwin Gonzalez could also be included, being that he’s in the last year of his contract. A handful of mid-tier prospects are appealing, but most will surely want a big name in return.
Sources: The Houston Astros have engaged with the Pittsburgh Pirates on trade talks for starter Gerrit Cole. One name bandied about as a return: outfielder Derek Fisher. For a trade to happen, Pirates almost certainly would need Kyle Tucker or Forrest Whitley as a centerpiece.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 8, 2018
Guys like Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitley are seemingly off limits. But that could change, obviously, if the team receives a class-A ace. If a deal occurs, one of the two players might be donning new jerseys in the Spring.
However, each available pitcher carries some sort of baggage, with Cole as the leader in that category.
Fans of many teams drilled Cole because he is not an ace pitcher. The 27-year-old boasts a career 3.50 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and racks up 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings on average.
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But he pieced together just one All-Star season, in which he finished fourth in the Cy Young that year – 2015. Yet, he wasn’t nearly as dominant in the past two seasons, and he wasn’t completely healthy in 2016.
Archer and Johnny Cueto are the two most dominant pitchers on the trade block. And while they have the best repertoire and more illustrious numbers, they’ve been shaky at times throughout the previous two seasons as well.
Salazar has injury issues and Samzardija is erratic and unpredictable. Neither are what owner Jim Crane dubbed as “high-end starter.” Nevertheless, they are still guys that have garnered some attention this offseason.
Houston has many possible choices. The Astros can sign Darvish, Jake Arrieta and even Lance Lynn if they hope to retain their younger pieces. Or they can save more money and look toward a blockbuster trade.
If the front office acquires any sort of top flight starter, it will extend the gap between Houston and other AL contenders. As of now, the Astros are favorites – along with the Indians – in the AL.
Next: Jake Marisnick keeps the club together
But soon that could change. And a big deal could be just what the MLB needs as the offseason continues to lull many fans and analysts to sleep at this time.