Houston Astros Potential Trade Deadline Upgrade Suffers Season-Ending Injury

The Houston Astros will have to look at a different option if they want to make an upgrade at the trade deadline.

Mar 2, 2024; Goodyear, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) leaves the game against the Kansas City Royals during the second inning at Goodyear Ballpark. / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Things have not started out for the Houston Astros like they had hoped for.

Sitting at 2-6 entering Saturday, they were swept by their rival New York Yankees and lost the opener in the American League Championship Series rematch against the Texas Rangers.

Their bullpen has been a major problem for them to begin the year despite signing the best closer in baseball, Josh Hader, who was expected to give them the best backend bullpen unit in the league.

While their starting pitching has not been the issue, the Astros are still without their ace Justin Verlander and two other past starters expected to return later in the season.

Once these players return, the overall pitching unit should be upgraded to the point where they can put these early issues behind them.

However, with questions still persisting around Cristian Javier, J.P. France, and Hunter Brown's viability during the regular season, Houston might be in the market for a starting pitcher around the trade deadline after they were a finalist for Blake Snell right before the start of the year.

Multiple MLB insiders suggested the Cleveland Guardians' ace, Shane Bieber, might become available if they weren't in the playoff race. With him playing out the final year of his contract before hitting free agency, he was a prime candidate to be moved.

Unfortunately, the star right-hander will now miss the remainder of the season after he'll be undergoing Tommy John surgery according to Mandy Bell of MLB.com.

Bieber was putting together a fantastic year, not allowing a single earned run over 12 innings pitched during his two starts while also striking out a Major League-leading 20 batters.

If the Astros want to upgrade their starting rotation even when the injured players return, they'll have to look at different pitchers who become available.