Three Starting Pitchers the Astros Could Target with Ronel Blanco Out for Season

With an increasingly thin starting rotation after the news of Ronel Blanco's season-ending surgery, the Houston Astros may have to start working the phones sooner than expected.

May 21, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Andrew Heaney (45) delivers a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Houston Astros fans got terrible news on Wednesday when the team announced that starting pitcher Ronel Blanco will miss the rest of the season and much of next year recovering from elbow surgery.

Blanco's 2025 campaign comes to a close with a 3-4 record and a 4.10 ERA in his nine starts, as he settled in as a full-time member of the team's starting rotation.

After co-aces Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown, the Astros' situation in the starting rotation starts to get dicey quickly.

Luis Garcia, Hayden Wesneski, Cristian Javier and J.P. France are all on the 60-day injured list, where they'll soon be joined by Blanco to comprise an entire quality Major League rotation.

Ryan Gusto, Colton Gordon and Lance McCullers Jr. hold the other three spots at present. None of that trio has performed particularly well, and even if McCullers Jr. begins to perform in line with his talent level, the risk of injury is omnipresent.

Spencer Arrighetti should return from his thumb injury in the near future to add another quality arm to the mix, but Houston simply has to hit the trade market now to add another arm either to get them get to and succeed in the postseason.

With a thin farm system and an aversion to adding exorbitant salaries, the Astros would more likely be in the target for reliable depth than another top-of-the-rotation arm.

Which Starting Pitchers Could the Astros Trade For?

Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles

A 29-year-old righty, Kremer is an option with some-long term upside. He's struggled mightily this season to the tune of a 5.02 ERA, but Houston has a lengthy track record of unlocking improvements in pitchers in poor form.

Kremer posted a 4.12 ERA and 4.10 in 2023 and 2024 when he made 32 and 24 starts, respectively, putting him in line with the sort of production Blanco was providing.

Baltimore's season is going nowhere in a hurry, and with pitchers like Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells possibly returning to the pitching staff later in the year, there may not be a spot for Kremer much longer anyway.

Andrew Heaney, Pittsburgh Pirates

For a more short-term option, Dana Brown could make a call to the Steel City, where veteran southpaw Andrew Heaney has unlocked a new version of himself in 2025.

The 33-year-old journeyman is 3-4 with a 3.41 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, which are both much better than his career averages.

Heaney's peripherals suggest that some regression is coming right up, but he still has plenty to offer a contending team. As a member of the 2023 World Series champon Texas Rangers, Heaney worked 11 solid innings over three starts and five appearances.

Zack Littell, Tampa Bay Rays

Littell, a former reliever for the San Francisco Giants who converted to a starter after joining the Rays, is 4-5 with a 3.97 and outstanding 1.08 WHIP to this point in the season.

Even as Tampa Bay hangs around the periphery of the playoff race, the organization is always looking to capitalize on other teams' needs to secure value for itself.

The Astros could afford to overpay a bit for Littell, and he would make for a solid, reliable fourth starter for the rest of the year.