Houston Astros GM Looking to 'Go Big' for Starting Pitcher Trade

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown is looking to "go big" at the trade deadline for a starting pitcher.

Aug 1, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown speaks with media before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Dana Brown, the general manager of the Houston Astros, is expected to be a very busy man over the next week.

With the 2024 MLB trade deadline coming up quickly on July 30th, the Astros are expected to try to make a sizable move or two. They are a legitimate contender in the American League and know that a big acquisition could make them a serious threat.

Arguably the biggest position of need for Houston right now is in the rotation. They need another starting pitcher and they need a good one. The Astros could also look into trading for a first baseman.

That being said, Brown opened up about his goals to acquire a starting pitcher. He plans to try to swing big on the trade market.

“Try go to big and see if there’s a deal that makes sense for the organization. If that don’t work, we’ll go down to mid-level and hopefully we can land something there. But it doesn’t hurt to ask. When you go through this, ask and thou shall receive sometimes. We want to try to go big, and if we can’t get the big thing done, we’ll try to go mid-level so we can get through this.”

Looking around the trade market, there are a few different opportunities for a big trade deadline move for a starting pitcher.

At the top of the list, Houston could try to swing a trade for names like Garrett Crochet or Tarik Skubal. Both of those players are elite aces who would immediately take the Astros up a notch in terms of contention.

Just below those names and still within the "big" category would be a trade for a player like Tyler Anderson, Max Scherzer, Nathan Eovaldi, and Jack Flaherty.

There will be plenty of avenues that Houston could pursue to add a quality arm to the rotation.

This should excite Astros fans. Brown and the front office clearly see an opportunity to compete this season. Getting aggressive at the trade deadline would give the team a very good chance of pushing for the AL West an a spot in the postseason.

Expect to hear a lot of rumblings and rumors coming out of Houston over the next week. It sounds like acquiring a starting pitcher is the biggest goal for the Astros.