Houston Astros Named Top Landing Spot for Two-Time Cy Young Award Winner in Offseason

The Houston Astros need to address their pitching in the offseason, and the San Francisco Giants ace would do just that.

Aug 17, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) walks on the field while wearing a hat as part of player’s weekend before the game against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros should be in the mix to land a pitcher or two in the offseason. As they saw during the trade deadline, above-average pitchers will require them to trade some of the top players in their farm system.

Unfortunately, the Astros don't have the flexibility of some of the other teams in Major League Baseball in terms of having a deep prospect pool.

While Yusei Kikuchi has thrown the baseball at a high level since joining Houston, it was also viewed as one of the biggest overpays of the trade deadline.

In fact, many believe the Astros lost that deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. 

That wouldn't have changed, no matter how good their farm system was, but it also shows that things could've been different if they had better prospects.

If they hadn't had to move three of their better prospects, the deal would've looked much different. 

Despite that being an issue in itself, Houston will have an opportunity to sign free agents in the offseason, and that won't require them to trade anybody. 

There will be plenty of top arms available on the free agency market this offseason, and if those players want to win and get paid, the Astros are one of the best places in baseball to accomplish that. 

Of the available starting pitchers is San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell. Bleacher Report recently compiled the top 10 landing spots for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, listing Houston at No. 8. 

Snell's contract this offseason includes an opt-out, which allows him to enter free agency if he chooses to.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today had the latest report on the left-hander, writing that he's expected to opt out of his contract. 

"Giants ace Blake Snell, after a horrific first half, will exercise his opt-out clause after yielding a 2.08 ERA with 63 strikeouts and a no-hitter in his last eight starts. One thing's for sure: Snell won’t wait until spring training to sign this time around."

He'd be an excellent addition to this rotation, as he's had strong numbers throughout his career.

He struggled a bit at the beginning of the campaign, which is why his 3.76 ERA is so impressive. Even a 3.76 is much better than many other arms in the league.

If it weren't for a slow start, and he didn't get hurt, this could've been another year where he had an opportunity to win a Cy Young Award.

Nonetheless, the Astros would be wise to give him a look.