Houston Astros Top Pitching Prospect Seen As Best Trade Chip Ahead of Deadline

It was another solid week for the Houston Astros, who are now in first place in the American League West with an easy series coming up against the Chicago White Sox.

While the direction of the Astros might have been hard to figure out this winter, this is a team that has proven early on that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the AL.

Despite losing stars like Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman during the offseason and getting off to a slow start, Houston is right where they usually are in first place of the AL West.

The team has had to rely their bullpen quite a bit to help make up for some injuries in the rotation and a lineup that has underperformed. However, despite some noticeable issues, the Astros have found ways to win.

With the team in first place, they will certainly be buyers at the trade deadline. There are two notable areas that they should be looking to upgrade, and that is in their starting rotation and their outfield.

Since Houston will likely be buying, it will be the farm system that will more than likely be used for potential upgrades.

Which Prospect Is the Houston Astros' Top Trade Chip?

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com recently wrote about the Astros’ best trade chip this summer being starting pitcher Miguel Ullola.

“The Astros will likely be in the market for a starting pitcher and a left-handed bat, and putting Ullola and his fastball in a package of prospects could help close a deal.”

While Houston might not have the best farm system after years of success, they do have some appealing players.

Ullola is certainly one of them in Triple-A, and there is a lot to like about the 22-year-old. So far in the minors this campaign, the right-hander has totaled a 3-2 record and a 3.08 ERA.

What makes him such an appealing prospect is his ability to strike out batters at an extremely high level. With a K/9 rate currently at 12.3, that has contributed to a lot of his success.

However, while Ullola is elite at striking batters out, he has struggled with giving out too many free passes. With a BB/9 rate of 5.7, that could potentially translate to some issues in the Majors.

Fortunately, while he might be a bit wild, being able to make hitters swing and miss fixes a lot of problems.

As Houston prepares to be a contender once again, Ullola will be arguably their best trade chip to improve this summer. However, with starting pitching being a need, he could also be considered a call-up candidate if they hold on to him.