The Astros went into the trade deadline with two obvious holes: they needed a dependable outfielder and they needed another starter. They checked one box, landing Gold Glove center fielder Daulton Varsho from last year’s American League champions. But to get him, Houston sent away starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti, which only made the rotation problem more pressing.
And then the front office stopped there.
That decision looks even harder to justify when you lay it next to Houston’s upcoming series at San Diego. The probable matchups open with Ronel Blanco against Robbie Ray on Friday, Aug. 7 at 8:40 PM CDT, followed by Peter Lambert vs.
Michael King on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 6:15 PM CDT. Sunday’s starter is still listed as TBD.
Peter Lambert has quietly been the stabilizer in this group. He owns a 3.06 ERA, the best mark among Houston starters, and has been the steady hand through the uncertainty around Tatsuya Imai, Lance McCullers Jr., and Arrighetti.
Blanco is a different story. In three starts, he has posted a 7.36 ERA and walked eight batters in fewer than 15 innings.
For an Astros team sitting atop the AL West, that’s a tough gamble to accept, even if the hope is that a return to action eventually gets him back on track. The problem is that Houston chose to live with that risk rather than add more help before the deadline.
The lineup gives the Astros plenty to lean on. Yordan Alvarez is squarely in the AL MVP conversation, and the rest of the order is loaded with names like Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, and Christian Walker. This is a team built to score.
But October usually asks more than that. Houston has shown it can win games with imperfect starting pitching, but that doesn’t make the roster complete.
If the offense cools off for even a couple of days in the postseason, the season can end fast. Winning the AL West is very much in play, even if it’s the worst division in the AL.
The harder question is whether relying on Imai, Blanco, and Hayden Wesneski is really the plan for October.
In Other News...
Astros Affiliate Has A Promotion Fans Wont Believe Actually Happened
The Corpus Christi Hooks are leaning all the way into Da de los Hooks Night with a giveaway that feels built for the kind of local loyalty minor league baseball thrives on. Play-by-play broadcaster Michael Coffin, who has been with the club since 2007, is getting his own bobblehead as part of the Da de los Muertos-themed celebration, and the item is meant to reflect one of the signature calls fans have heard from him for years.
Coffin said he was honored to be selected, which fits a promotion that is as much about community recognition as it is about novelty. The night is sponsored by Seaside Memorial Park & Funeral Home, and the odd-couple pairing of a longtime broadcaster, a themed baseball event and a giveaway that should turn heads is exactly the sort of detail that makes the Hooks such a colorful Astros affiliate. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Face One Pitching Decision That Could Shape The Stretch Run
With the Astros sitting at 60-57 and holding a 1.5-game edge in the AL West, the pitching picture remains the front offices most obvious unanswered question. Houston added outfield help in the deal for Daulton Varsho from Toronto, but the rotation still carries the kind of elevated ERA that can put extra pressure on every series down the stretch.
One possible way to ease the load is to keep Ronel Blanco from being pushed too deep into games and pair him with Tatsuya Imai in a tandem setup that preserves innings while keeping both arms available. The bullpen could also use a fresh look, with Alimber Santa a candidate to come up from Triple-A Sugar Land if Houston decides Bennett Sousa is the odd man out. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Still Have One Lineup Problem They Couldnt Fix At The Deadline
Joe Espada has already shown a willingness to get creative with his roster, even deploying Daulton Varsho out of position as he tries to squeeze more offense and flexibility out of the lineup. But for all the maneuvering, Houston still has a familiar deadline problem hanging over it: the outfield depth chart remains thin, and the bench could use a clearer platoon answer to help balance the lineup.
The Astros have been sorting through ways to improve that corner of the roster, and the search points toward a right-handed bat who can give Espada more options without forcing the rest of the defense to shuffle every night. Rob Refsnyder and Austin Hays are among the names being discussed, while Jorge Soler also fits the profile, leaving Houston with a task that sounds simple on paper but has proven harder to solve than the deadline would suggest. [Read more 🡒]