Veteran Ace Should Become Option for Houston Astros This Winter

With the Houston Astros looking to keep their championship window open, they should target an ace pitcher who could become available this offseason.

Aug 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros officially get their playoffs underway in the Wild Card round against the Detroit Tigers and a familiar face in their ex-manager A.J. Hinch.

Despite the Astros not having the same level of domination during the regular season like they have become accustomed to throughout their dynastic run, all it takes is for them to get hot for one month to make a run at their third World Series championship.

All the focus will be on them chasing another title, but once their year ends, there are tons of questions this organization and the front office will have to answer regarding who they are going to keep or pursue in free agency.

The most notable players set to hit the open market are franchise cornerstones Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander.

With the former still being in his prime, the thought of losing him without a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings makes that a difficult proposition. Because of Verlander's age combined with his decline in play and injuries, it's much more likely he will be on a different team than Bregman who could sign a lucrative extension if both parties agree to a set figure.

However, it's hard to deny how important the future Hall of Fame starter has been for Houston.

Even at 40 years old last season, he still produced a 7-3 record and 3.31 ERA across his 11 starts that reduced to an ERA of 2.95 during the playoffs.

The Astros will need a replacement if they do let Verlander walk in free agency, and they should turn their attention to St. Louis Cardinals ace Sonny Gray if that's the route they take.

According to John Denton of MLB.com, the Cardinals could look to trade the right-hander this winter because they are phasing out current president of baseball operations John Mozeliak in favor of Chaim Bloom, who will take over after 2025.

Gray signed a three-year, $75 million contract with St. Louis this past offseason, leaving two years and $60 million remaining on the deal with a club option for 2027.

That is a lot of money for Houston to pay considering their self-imposed payroll restrictions, but even with Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. expected to return next season, they still have a need for a top-end starting pitcher in their rotation.

Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, Spencer Arrighetti, and one of the returning injured starters could round out their rotation, but it's hard to rely on the health or production of either Garcia or McCullers based on what has transpired the past couple years.

Cristian Javier, Jose Urquidy and J.P. France underwent season-ending surgeries in 2024, so there is no exact timetable on when they might return.

Adding Gray would give the Astros a much needed elite starter who could help them throughout the long campaign.

Despite not putting together a headlining type of year in 2024, he still posted a 13-9 record across his 28 starts and 166.1 innings pitched with a 3.84 ERA and 109 ERA+.

Gray would be a great addition to this rotation and is someone Houston should consider pursuing if the Cardinals do make him available in trade conversations this winter.