Houston Astros Predicted To Land Former Cy Young Free Agent Ace

The Houston Astros could be a contender for a former Cy Young winner in free agency.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros head into the offseason eager to make upgrades coming off a year that saw the end of their incredible streak of seven consecutive ALCS appearances.

While understandably a ton of the attention has been on the status of Alex Bregman and whether he will or won't be back with the team, there are additions outside of the star third baseman to be made in order to ensure that the Astros put themselves in a position to be back on baseball's biggest stage in 2025.

One area that will need to be looked at is the starting rotation.

Dana Brown made a savvy move at the trade deadline to acquire Yusei Kikuchi, but ultimately knew he would be a rental especially after the way he performed to earn a huge deal on the open market from the Los Angeles Angels.

When it comes to replacing that production, perhaps Houston could look to a former Cy Young winner who will likely be had on the cheap to put into their rotation.

Nick Villano of FanSided predicted the Astros to wind up with Cleveland Guardians former ace Shane Bieber as he recovers from season-ending Tommy John surgery.

"The Houston Astros are looking at a pivotal offseason where they really set up what the next few years look like," he wrote. "They need to make upgrades in the pitching staff, as they build around Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti. Bieber would give them a spark in the middle of the season, and it could solidify the best rotation in the American League if Bieber has his best stuff."

While Bieber began the 2024 campaign on a tear, it didn't last long and he was shut down for the year after 12 scoreless innings.

He has not truly been amongst the game's elite starting pitchers in a while after a 2023 season in which he made only 21 starts with a respectable, but not dominant, 3.80 ERA.

The contract prediction for Bieber will likely be a little bit murky, but it would not be a surprise to see him take a one-year prove it type deal to hit the open market again next offseason.

Still at just 29 years old, the possibility that Bieber's recent injuries are just a hiccup and he can return to the upper echelon of starting pitchers across the league is real, and a short-term deal sounds like it could be right up Houston's alley.

Keep an eye on how Bieber's market plays out and if the price is right, look for the Astros to get involved.