Houston Astros should trade Collin McHugh for pitching prospects

Although the Houston Astros still have a farm system filled with weapons, it can get even better. Teams want Collin McHugh, so that’s one way they can add to the regime.

The Houston Astros essentially look set as they head into Spring Training. General manager Jeff Luhnow dealt with most players that qualified for arbitration and acquired multiple assets for his pitching staff.

But the front office might not be done just yet. Being that Collin McHugh is arbitration eligible and without a spot in the rotation, Houston might ship him elsewhere. Thus far, the Minnesota Twins, following a severe injury to Ervin Santana, and the Baltimore Orioles expressed interest.

The club doesn’t need him back in the No. 31 uniform in 2018. The addition of Gerrit Cole essentially eliminated McHugh’s chances to occupy a spot in the starting rotation. Unless a critical injury occurs, he will be a long reliever – he may spot start at times.

And even if pitchers get hurt, manager A.J. Hinch may give the nod to someone else. Guys like top prospect Forrest Whitley and the young, talented Francis Martes might earn a promotion.

That doesn’t necessarily mean McHugh is undeserving of a spot in any rotation. The 30-year-old had a few solid seasons in the past, and he can be more valuable elsewhere.

McHugh has been serviceable nearly every season of his career. During his four-year stint in Houston, the righty posted a 3.70 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Those aren’t exceptional numbers, but they aren’t shoddy nonetheless. And while he didn’t pitch much last season due to injury, he seems poised to rebound.

Now Houston must determine what they hope to receive in return for McHugh. The MLB roster seems complete at this point, except possibly the outfield. Altogether, the Astros should collect a few prospects in exchange.

Despite having a number of talented pitching prospects in the minors, the front office can load up its options in that category.

Both Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton are free agents next season, and none of the current Triple-A starters look like potential replacements.

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David Paulino, Martes and Brady Rogers headline the rotation, but none of them fared too well in the majors. Martes was a top prospect for the club last season, but now he isn’t seen as valuable. Paulino continues to be a promising prodigy in the minors, but he still needs to develop his off-speed repertoire and consistency.

The question is whether the Orioles and Twins have any younger pitchers that are worthwhile. Of course, they do.

Virtually all of the Baltimore’s best pitching prospects are in the early stages of their career. It would be difficult to steal away unproven yet promising arms like Cameron Bishop and Alex Wells, but the Astros can try.

On the other hand, the Twins have a few guys in Tyler Watson and Zack Littell that could be of interest. Overall, however, Minnesota probably wants to keep any pitchers with any form of promise considering the rotation’s mediocrity throughout the past few seasons.

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Both teams mentioned are in dire need of a starting pitcher. McHugh won’t solve all of their issues, but he can become a solid contributor, just like he was in Houston.

And while the Astros don’t necessarily need him, they won’t give him away for free. A few mid-tier pitching prospects could be appropriate in this case.