Astros Ignored Biggest Need at Trade Deadline and it Could Haunt Them

The last piece of the puzzle was within the grasps of the Astros front office, and they did not get a deal done in the final minutes Monday afternoon.

Astros general manager Dana Brown (left) talks with manager Joe Espada before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Houston Astros had two major focuses going into the trade deadline: a solid outfielder and a starting pitcher.

Well, the front office made a splash in the final hours of the deadline when they stole center fielder Daulton Varsho out of the Toronto Blue Jays dugout before the two teams faced off Monday evening. However, the cost to get him was high.

The Astros were forced to give up Spencer Arrighetti, who has been a big piece of their team over the past few years, further solidifying that another arm had to be added to the pitching staff.

So, in the final minutes Monday afternoon, it seemed clear as day that the Astros would go after another arm after dealing away Arrighetti and demoting Tatsuya Imai into the bullpen. But they didn't, and now there is a clear hole in the roster.

Astros Starting Rotation for the Rest of the Year

Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) walks onto the field before the game against the Texas Rangers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Men, women, and children of all ages know of the man who is Yordan Alvarez, as he is demolishing almost every single pitcher he faces. The Astros' offense is pummeling teams led by their designated hitter, but the starting rotation has been a big eyesore.

Right now, the Astros are the lone division leaders that have a negative run differential on the year, and most of that has stemmed from issues within their starters as Tatsuya Imai has failed to get out of the first inning on three separate occassions.

Hunter Brown, as expected, had some bumps in the road in his return from injury and has yet to really settle into things quite this season. If this team is going to make a deep run, he has to lock in over the course of the next two months.

• Peter Lambert: 3.06 ERA, .206 Opponent's Batting Average, 1.13 WHIP
• Hunter Brown: 3.42 ERA, .202 Opponent's Batting Average, 1.29 WHIP
• Cristian Javier: 6.59 ERA, .290 Opponent's Batting Average, 1.68 WHIP
• Hayden Wesneski: 3.86 ERA, .262 Opponent's Batting Average, 1.29 WHIP

Astros starting pitcher Peter Lambert (38) pitches against the Texas Rangers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cy Young contender from just a season ago has looked much better in his last two starts, with nearly 13 innings and a pair of earned runs. That is the Brown that will lead them to postseason success.

Houston needed an answer to their outfield problem, and they got it. They needed another starter, and not only came up short, but they also dealt a piece away from the pitching staff. This means they are counting on who is currently in the clubhouse to step up and look different than what has been seen this year.

That is quite the gamble, and only time will tell if it was worth making it, but there is no going back now, and they are just going to have to ride it out, for better or worse.