The Houston Astros have some big decisions to make over the coming weeks. They’re bound to lose Framber Valdez in free agency, but they’ve added Tatsuya Imai to help lessen the blow.
Despite adding Imai, the Astros could dip back into the pitching market in free agency to bolster their roster. The rotation wasn’t a strength last season, and the Astros could be looking to turn this weakness into a strength.
Just Baseball’s Cristian Crespo predicted the Astros would reunite with San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander in free agency this winter.
“Headlined by the same pitcher who actually idolized Verlander, Hunter Brown, the rest of the rotation will be built up of some combination of Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, Lance McCullers Jr., Mike Burrows, and Ryan Weiss,” Crespo wrote. “For a team that continues to make moves to try to remain competitive, that rotation is everything but.
“It is not just the need for an innings eater that makes this reunion perfect for both parties. As the Astros look to fully transition over into the new-age Astros, a future Hall of Fame pitcher would do wonders for a young rotation looking for guidance.”
Verlander isn’t a superstar at this point in his career, but he could plug a hole at the backend of the team’s rotation.
Adding the veteran righty on a one-year deal would fit the Astros perfectly. It would likely be affordable, as the market for Verlander isn’t as aggressive as most other pitchers around the league. It would also be poetic for Verlander to land with the same team that he spent a chunk of his career.
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