Veteran With Elite Stuff Over Past Three Seasons Could Fix Houston Astros Rotation

The Houston Astros could use the right-hander with some of their injuries entering 2025.

Oct 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Wacha (52) throws during the first inning against the New York Yankees during game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros will likely look for veterans in the offseason. They're a team built to win now, and while they'd love to add some young talent, there typically aren't many young stars traded or available in the winter.

Perhaps that changes in the offseason, but the Astros will likely look to add on the margins with veteran talent, which should be all they need to get back to the top of the baseball world.

There will be a ton of players out there for them to pursue.

If Houston wants to improve their rotation if Yusei Kikuchi and Justin Verlander leave in free agency, they could look to target Michael Wacha.

Wacha is an interesting name to follow, as he's pitched in the Big Leagues since 2013. Throughout his 12-year MLB career, all he's done is throw at an above-average level. There have been a few rough campaigns throughout that, but what he's done over the past three seasons leaves a lot of optimism for him aging well.

The right-hander has posted a 3.30 ERA and has struck out 373 hitters in that span.

He has a player option for $16 million, which he might pick up if he doesn't believe his market will be too hot.

While that's possible, Jim Bowden of The Athletic doesn't expect that to be the case, predicting the Iowa native to land a three-year, $54 million deal.

"Michael Wacha has been superb and consistent over the past three years, posting ERAs between 3.22 and 3.35 with double-digit wins each season, all while pitching on short-term contracts. His downward plane and changeup (.169 batting average against) are special. He ranked in the 99th percentile in offspeed run value and in the 92nd percentile in hard-hit rate. Wacha has a $16 million player option for 2025 that I expect he’ll decline so he can enter free agency and land a multiyear contract."

A three-year deal would give Wacha more long-term money, which a 33-year-old would likely welcome.

The Astros' decisions will weigh heavily on what their pending free agents decide to do. If they re-signed the multiple players who are set to hit the market from their roster, Wacha might not have much of a place in the rotation.

If not, there's reason to believe he could be the perfect candidate to eat up some of those lost innings, as Houston has a few injury questions heading into next campaign.