Houston Astros Should Eye Guardians Cy Young Winner at Trade Deadline

With less than 60 days until the MLB Trade Deadline, it's a good time for the Houston Astros to explore the starting pitcher market.

The defending World Series champion Houston Astros are poised to make another postseason run. At 33-23 in the American League West, they only sit two and a half games back of the division-leading Texas Rangers. 

When building to a postseason run, pitching can make or break a team's success. Houston has a starting rotation that puts its success in a good light. 

But with Houston down multiple starting pitchers, adding someone to the rotation who comes with postseason experience is worth considering. 

For the Astros, that might take the form of seeing if the Cleveland Guardians will shop right-handed 2022 Cy Young winner Shane Bieber (4-3, 3.72 ERA. 1.29 WHIP). 

In his career, all with Cleveland, Bieber is 58-29 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 10.2 strikeouts/per nine innings in six MLB seasons.

ESPN's Jeff Passan said with Cleveland’s history of trading starting pitchers in recent years, seeing Bieber on the move is an option. Prime examples are trading away Mike Clevinger at the deadline in 2020 and Trevor Bauer in 2019.

Currently, Cleveland sits 25-30 in the American League Central. If Cleveland is still on the outside looking in when the trade deadline gets closer, sending Bieber to a World Series contending squad might make sense. 

While Bieber's $10 million salary this season is an affordable number, he'll be due a raise in 2024 for his last year of arbitration. As of yet, there have been no reported talks between him and the Guardians regarding a contract extension.

For Cleveland, it will come down to whether they'll get more value trading him at the deadline or over the offseason. 

Houston has two pitchers already solidifying the top of the Astros rotation: right-hander Cristian Javier (6-1, 2.97 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) and left-hander Framber Valdez (5-4, 2.38 ERA, 1.04 WHIP). After that, righty Hunter Brown (5-2, 3.61 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) has the number three spot but he's in his first full MLB season. 

Brown and right-handers Brandon Bielak and J.P. France are in the rotation due to the injuries of Luis Garcia, Jose Urquidy, and Lance McCullers Jr. While the trio has been solid, none of those pitchers have the experience or caliber of Bieber. 

General manager Dana Brown promises to be "aggressive" at the trade deadline and looking seriously if Bieber would fit the bill.

Adding another veteran arm with ace-level talent like Bieber could be the difference in whether the Astros hoist the Commissioner's Trophy for the second consecutive season.

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