Houston Astros Reportedly Looking to Add Elite Starter to Rotation
The Houston Astros were expected to spend lightly and wisely this winter in an attempt to curb payroll.
But with the Texas Rangers on the rise as the new American League West dynasty and the Seattle Mariners quietly lurking, it is going to take an aggressive move to stay relevant.
One area they need to address is their rotation. Houston cannot expect to win much of anything in the postseason if they have to lean on J.P. France, Hunter Brown or whatever iteration Jose Urquidy appeared in the rotation following his injury.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Astros are expected to kick the tires on elite starters.
"Phillies are still looking at top starters after bringing back Aaron Nola," tweeted Heyman. "They have company, as at least the Red Sox, Cardinals, Braves, Dodgers and Astros are looking for an elite starter (and many more than just those teams are on Yamamoto, who’s only 25)."
Whether that means the Astros pursue a starter via free agency or trade is not made clear by Heyman. It would be wise to assume that with Houston's lack of talent in their farm system that free agency will be the way to go.
Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the two big names left on the docket, but nearly every team looking for a rotation upgrade will be pursuing those two.
One name who could be of intrigue is Jordan Montgomery. He would be slightly cheaper than Snell, but he would be coming form the Rangers. It's a double blow to Houston's divisional rivals but adding Montgomery and subtracting such a key player from Texas' World Series roster.
It will be interesting to see which direction Houston's ownership and front office decide to go this winter. Their "dynasty" hangs in the balance.
