Injured Astros Could Target Cardinals' Former No. 18 Overall Pick

Houston is among the clubs most desperate for starting pitching

Oct 22, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; The Houston Astros logo is seen during the third inning of game one of the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

One of the St. Louis Cardinals’ strongest arms could have multiple suitors this summer, including the Houston Astros.

St. Louis’ performance between now and July will determine whether or not they put starting pitchers like Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde up for sale before the trade deadline.

Should the Cards become sellers, you can expect the Astros to be one of the first teams in line. Houston’s need for starting pitching was written about last week by Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller.

“Houston's list of pitchers on the IL is more impressive than the list of starting pitchers it has available,” Miller wrote.

“Assuming Houston does its usual thing and bounces back from a slow start—the Astros have had a sub-.500 record around April 20 in each of the past four seasons—it might be the singular team most likely to swing big for someone like (Sandy) Alcantara, as a means of both improving the current rotation and preparing for Framber Valdez's likely departure in free agency.”

“However, without a single top 100 prospect in their farm system (Cam Smith was top 100, but he is already their primary right fielder), we'll see if they can actually make it happen.”

While Houston will likely be checking in on Alcántara, as Miller noted, the Astros might also communicate with the Cardinals, with the 32-year-old Fedde possibly becoming the main topic of inquiry.

Fedde pitched well versus Houston on Tuesday despite suffering a loss — six innings, five strikeouts, six hits allowed, and just one earned run. The former No. 18 overall pick of the Washington Nationals has compiled a 3.43 ERA in four starts with St. Louis this season, which is a better indication of his stuff than his 1-2 record.

Like Gray, Fedde is on an expiring contract, but Fedde is the much cheaper option for suitors with a $7.5 million salary this season compared to Gray’s $25 million.

If the Cardinals are still in the divisional race by July, Fedde might not hit the market, but is St. Louis really going to stay afloat in the standings for that long?

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