The Houston Astros had a potential conundrum with their starting rotation. They already have six major league caliber starters and Lance McCullers Jr. is working his way back as he is on a rehab assignment. While having McCullers back would allow the Astros to limit both his and Justin Verlander’s innings down the stretch, there could be other uses for that surplus.
That is something that the Astros are considering. According to Jeff Passan at ESPN, the Astros could consider trading from their extra pitching, looking to move a younger, controllable arm to upgrade their lineup.
Houston Astros willing to move arms to improve lineup
It makes sense that the Astros would be willing to move an arm or two. They have several holes in their lineup, with first base, center, and catcher all concerns. The Astros could also look to add another arm in the bullpen, although that would likely come from one of their starters being bumped out of the rotation.
Passan mentioned Jose Urquidy as the most likely of the Astros’ major league arms to be traded. He is just about to enter arbitration for the first time this offseason, making him a viable target for any team that hopes to contend in the near future. Despite relatively underwhelming stuff, he has been an effective major league arm, posting a 3.69 ERA and a 1.096 WHiP over his 278.1 major league innings, striking out 224 batters with just 56 walks. Urquidy may not be an ace, but he is an effective middle of the rotation arm.
Urquidy alone would not bring in the type of player that the Astros need. However, he could be a key part of a return for a team looking to contend soon. The Cubs, for example, refuse to admit that they are rebuilding, and could view Urquidy as a viable part of a package for Willson Contreras.
The Houston Astros are willing to part with some of their controllable arms to upgrade the lineup. Jose Urquidy may be the most likely to be traded.