Potential Buy-Low Houston Astros Offseason Target Would Be Perfect Addition

The Houston Astros rotation could use all the help it can get in 2025 after dealing with injuries this season.

Mar 28, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) delivers a pitch against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

It's a miracle that the Houston Astros are 77-65 and hold a five-game lead in the American League West due to the injuries they've dealt with on the mound.

While the pitchers in the rotation who've stepped up should be credited, it also shows how much talent is on the entire roster.

Still, the injuries are a problem, and with some of them having remained constant over the past few years, the front office has to address them this offseason.

As they head into the offseason over the next few months, the Astros will have their own free agency decisions to make. Some pitchers will hit the open market, leaving the door open for them to potentially need even more than it may seem.

Houston could be in a position to take some risks. If they don't want to spend on some of the top arms in the game, there will be solid non-ace caliber pitchers available.

There's also one starter, formerly an ace, but had Tommy John surgery this season.

That's right-hander Shane Bieber.

Bieber has been regarded as one of the better arms in Major League Baseball over the past few years despite the injuries he's dealt with. However, those injuries can no longer be ignored.

Still, if the Astros have faith in him returning to form, he could be the ideal player to sign. Given the possibility that he'll take a pay cut due to the surgery, that adds intrigue to Houston's perspective.

That pay cut is a real possibility.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicted he'll play for a new team in 2025, writing that he could look to sign a two-year contract to prove he still has it.

"The Guardians generally steer clear of expensive long-term contracts, with the José Ramírez extension one of the few exceptions, and it has long looked like Shane Bieber's time with the team would come to an end when he reached free agency. The question now is whether he might consider accepting a qualifying offer while he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery in April... A back-loaded, two-year deal similar to what Brandon Woodruff signed with the Milwaukee Brewers last offseason could also be a mutually beneficial approach."

Bieber has been a consistent sub-3.3 ERA arm for much of his career, including his 2022 campaign, when he posted a 2.88 ERA and struck out 198 hitters in 200.0 innings pitched.

The California native has only thrown in 140.0 innings over the last two campaigns, but hopefully, this surgery has him ready to go for the remainder of his career.

If so, he could be the steal of the offseason.