Astros Free Agent Starting Pitching Options Are Slowly Dwindling

The choices are slowly dwindling for Houston to add a starting pitcher through free agency this offseason.

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It has remained a quiet offseason for the Houston Astros and general manager Dana Brown so far. That really should not come as a surprise, given the Astros are not blessed with a ton of money to spend.

One thing is clear: the door has closed between Framber Valdez and Houston in terms of a reunion this winter. If that does indeed end up being the case, then replacing him is not going to be easy to slot a top-of-the-rotation pitcher behind Hunter Brown.

If the Astros were looking to fill Vadlez's potential departure through free agency, then the options are beginning to slowly dwindle. Dylan Cease, the other top free agent pitcher along with Valdez this offseason, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Another option was Michael King, and it was reported late Thursday night that he's going back to the Padres. Whether or not Houston was a realistic landing spot for King is something we'll never know. What we do know is that the free agent options are dwindling for Dana Brown as we close in on the second half of December.

Astros Starting Pitching Options Beginning to Dwindle

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Now that Cease is gone and King is reportedly returning to Southern California, three other pitchers are remaining on the free agent market that would be considered a replacement for Valdez. If the Astros don't act soon, they risk being shut out of the free agent market.

Aside from Valdez, the other three free agent pitchers that could be top-of-the-rotation pitchers are Zac Gallen, Ranger Suarez, and Tatsuya Imai. Gallen is someone who would be an innings-eater for Houston, and Suarez is someone who has pitched in a lot of big games for the Philadelphia Phillies and could do the same for the Astros. After that, Dana Brown's next option might be adding through a trade.

If the trade route is a road Dana Brown decides to go down, he could look to the Miami Marlins and Edward Cabrera or Sandy Alcantara. Cabrera is the one who has been drawing the most interest and is most likely to be moved. The Washington Nationals have left-hander MacKenzie Gore. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Astros are in the mix for a top-tier starter.

"The Houston Astros are in the mix, the Yankees are dabbling, the Los Angeles Angels remain part of the conversation, the Cubs still could use an arm, and the San Diego Padres are involved as ever,'' Passan wrote.

The options are slowly dwindling for Dana Brown and the Astros to sign another top-of-the-rotation arm behind Hunter Brown. The quiet offseason is one that Houston fans might not have seen coming, but it speaks volumes in terms of not spending a lot of money this winter.

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