Houston Astros GM reveals big plans ahead of MLB trade deadline

The Houston Astros were one of the worst teams in baseball to begin the season, sparking trade rumors to MLB for All-Star hitters like Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker. Houston had no such problems this summer, getting back into playoff contention and dramatically changing the club’s plans at the MLB trade deadline.

At the end of May, Houston was at the bottom of the MLB standings at 25-33. Now, heading into MLB play, the Astros have the best record in baseball since June 1 at 27-14. That has not only propelled them into the MLB playoff race, but also vaulted them to the top of the American League West.

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Houston has a lot to talk about. During that 41-game stretch, pitchers have posted a 3.55 ERA and held opponents to a .224 batting average (second in MLB). The Astros’ lineup has certainly played a crucial role in that turnaround, with a .265/.319/.438 batting average and the fifth-most runs scored (216) since June.

The Astros also acknowledge there is still a lot of work to be done. The Astros’ rotation has taken a lot of hits this year, with Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez spending significant time on the injured list. Additionally, former starters Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. haven’t thrown a pitch all season.

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During an appearance on MLB Network Radio, Astros general manager Dana Brown said the club is prioritizing going after big names to improve its starting rotation. If that doesn’t work, Houston will then turn to mid-level starters.

“We’re going to try to think big and see if a deal makes sense for the organization. If that doesn’t work out, we’ll go down to the middle level and hope we can figure something out there. But it doesn’t hurt to ask. When you’re going through this, ask and you shall receive sometimes. We want to try to think big, and if we can’t, we’ll try to go down to the middle level and figure something out.”

Houston Astros GM Dana Brown on MLB trade deadline approaching

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Brown also revealed that the motivations behind Houston’s desire to recruit a reliable starter are multiple. With the aforementioned player on injured reserve and needing plenty of time to recover and then rebuild, Houston could shift to a six-man rotation at times.

As for potential targets for the Astros, there are some obvious names if Houston is truly determined to be aggressive. The Detroit Tigers have begun discussing a trade for Tarik Skubal and MLB trade rumors clearly show that Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet is very much available.

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That being said, the Astros’ top prospects likely aren’t good enough to win a bidding war against clubs like the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. As a result, Houston will likely have to turn to second- and third-tier pitching options.

Based on the starting pitchers leaked in MLB rumors, Houston will likely have to focus on starting pitchers like Frankie Montas (Cincinnati Reds), Tyler Anderson (Los Angeles Angels), Jack Flaherty (Detroit Tigers), and Erick Fedde (Chicago White Sox). Luckily for Houston, there are more than enough starting pitchers available for trade, so it will all depend on where they find the most value.