Astros 'Perfect Move' for Offseason is Landing This Top Free Agent Ace

The Houston Astros have a move staring them in the face which would be a slam dunk, one insider says.

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The Houston Astros enter the offseason coming off the official end of their run of domination in the American League following their first missed postseason since 2016.

For the Astros this season, the year was marked by injuries in the pitching staff and the lineup, and a group that just was not able to rise to the occasion in September with everything on the line. For this franchise though, the expectation is to contend yearly and next season will be no different.

Houston and general manager Dana Brown are expected to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to avoid the same fate next year, and one way to ensure that will be landing a difference-making starting pitcher. In an article this week, naming a perfect move for each team, baseball insider Jeff Passan of ESPN named San Diego Padres right-hander Michael King as the ideal acquisition.

Passan Links Astros to Padres Star Michael King

Apr 19, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Daikin Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

"Houston's bullpen is deep enough that the shoulder capsule injury that shut down Josh Hader for the final two months isn't entirely debilitating," Passan wrote. "Starting pitching, on the other hand, is a problem. Plenty of options exist for the Astros, but owner Jim Crane's reticence to offer long-term deals could take them out of the running for the highest-end pitchers. Targeting one with high-end talent but coming off an injury-pocked 2025 is the ideal way to get ceiling outside of that paradigm."

Ironically, Houston has been connected heavily to King's teammate in Dylan Cease, but clearly Passan feels the converted starter is a better fit for them than the steady and reliable Cease.

What Would King Cost Astros?

Sep 17, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Petco Park. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

While Cease actually played the entire 2025 season and simply suffered from a decline in performance, King dealt with nerve issues, which really derailed his campaign and limited him to just 15 starts.

This can be looked at two different ways: as a durability concern that does not exist with Cease, and, on the other hand, as more reason to be optimistic that King can get back to the 4.1 bWAR type guy he was in 2024, his first season as a starter.

If Houston would be willing to take a little bit of a risk that King will become that again, a potential two or three-year deal with an AAV between $20 and $25 million could make a lot of sense here for both sides.

Sep 17, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Petco Park. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Though it would be tough to pass up on Cease, King may be an even better fit, and it's something at the very least worth investigating for the Astros as they continue their climb back to the top of the ladder in the American League.

As hot stove season really gets going here in the coming weeks, keep an eye out for links between Houston and the top of the market starting pitchers with Framber Valdez set to walk. It remains to be seen if King ends up being in the conversation, but Passan makes a convincing case that he absolutely should be.

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