Astros GM hopes to add 'proven veteran pitcher' to rotation mix
Few teams boast the pitching depth of the Houston Astros, who earned their first postseason berth since 2005 this season, wherein their starting rotation finished second in the American League in wins above replacement.
Still, general manager Jeff Luhnow admitted earlier this week he'd like to add another pitcher from outside the organization to the glut of starters set to compete for a rotation spot this spring.
"We have some depth in terms of pitching options, and then we have younger guys that may not be ready for the beginning of the season but are coming along," Luhnow told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "At the same time, we have expectations to win a lot of ballgames next year, so having a proven veteran pitcher, whether it's a trade or free agent, that can plug into our rotation and upgrade, is something we're going to look at."
Dallas Keuchel, a strong candidate for the 2015 AL Cy Young award, will anchor Houston's rotation next summer, with right-handers Collin McHugh and Lance McCullers likely to slot in behind him. Though, at this point, veterans Mike Fiers and Scott Feldman are poised to round out the starting corps, the two will face competition from Vincent Velasquez, Asher Wojciechowski, Dan Straily, and former No. 1 pick Mark Appel.
2015 Stats
| Name | GS | ERA | FIP | xFIP | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Keuchel | 33 | 2.48 | 2.91 | 2.75 | 6.1 |
| Collin McHugh | 32 | 3.89 | 3.58 | 3.91 | 3.9 |
| Lance McCullers | 22 | 3.22 | 3.26 | 3.50 | 2.8 |
| Scott Feldman | 18 | 3.90 | 4.32 | 4.09 | 1 |
| Vincent Velasquez | 7 | 4.03 | 3.27 | 4.26 | 0.9 |
| Mike Fiers | 9 | 2.67 | 4.32 | 3.98 | 0.6 |
| Asher Wojciechowski | 3 | 9.75 | 4.80 | 5.46 | 0.1 |
| Dan Straily | 3 | 5.87 | 4.76 | 4.51 | 0.1 |
And though the Astros have already committed about $89 million to their 2016 payroll after arbitration raises - their highest total since 2010 - Luhnow would still like to add another candidate into the starting mix, whether through trade or free agency.
"We touched base with some of the representatives with some of the free agents," Luhnow said. "It will probably take a little longer to develop. I do have a good feel for what avenues we may able to pursue at this point."