Houston Astros Named ‘Landing Spot’ for Right-Handed Pitcher Amid Injuries
The Houston Astros roster has taken a massive hit with injuries this season, an unfortunate situation given the talent they have on the roster.
While the Astros haven't played as well as they have in years past, it's fair to wonder how this team would look if it weren't for all of the injuries they've dealt with. They're playing better recently despite not being healthy, which is a promising sign as the campaign progresses.
What Houston does at the trade deadline will be one of the top stories in baseball. They could move some of their long-time veterans to other teams for future assets, or the front office could be buyers.
Dana Brown has indicated that he doesn't plan to sell, but things can change. Four games out of a Wild Card spot and six games behind in the American League West, the Astros aren't even close to out of it yet.
Considering what this team has done for much of the past decade, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see them even win the division.
For them to do so, however, a few trades might need to happen. With all of the injuries, especially to the starting rotation, look for the front office to sort that out.
Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut listed 10 MLB trade candidates, including right-hander Cal Quantrill. He named Houston as a potential landing spot for the Colorado Rockies ace.
"Ryan McMahon should be one of the top MLB trade candidates in 2024, but the Colorado Rockies refuse to move him. With Kris Bryant having negative trade value, Colorado’s best option as a seller is trading one of its lone solid arms.
"Cal Quantrill, age 29, is arbitration-eligible through 2024 and has been excellent on the mound this season. He owns a 3.43 ERA across his first 84 innings pitched, with a 3.06 ERA and .244/.320/.344 slash line allowed to opponents on the road."
As the Astros and many other teams have done over previous trade deadlines, adding pitching is a must. The question for them is how much an arm like Quantrill is going to cost.
He's having the second-best season of his career as a starter, and doing so at Coors Field makes it that much more impressive.
If he were to get dealt to Houston, he'd be a perfect depth option. With all of the injuries they've faced, it could be a better decision to land mid-tier arms instead of going all in for a star, and Quantrill fits that.
JON CONAHAN
Jon Conahan has been covering all major sports since 2019. He is a 2022 graduate of the Bellisario School of Journalism at Penn State University and previously played D1 baseball.