The Houston Astros are back in the picture for third baseman Alex Bregman. They were long thought to be out of the mix, but after freeing up some money by trading Ryan Pressly, there is now a chance for Houston to do something.
However, that doesn’t mean that Bregman should be their only focus. In fact, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding their starting rotation.
They have three starters on the injured list entering 2025, so they’ll need to do something. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports lists Houston as a potential landing spot for right-hander Michael King, who is being shopped by the San Diego Padres.
“At the moment, the priority seems to be finding a way to make an Alex Bregman reunion work, though the Astros should not ignore their rotation. GM Dana Brown recently acknowledged Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. will not be ready for Opening Day as they continue their elbow surgery rehab (McCullers has not pitched since 2022), and Cristian Javier’s Tommy John surgery timeline puts him on track to return in August or September. Hayden Wesneski is penciled into the No. 5 rotation spot and there’s basically no major-league proven depth behind him,” Axisa wrote.
With three starters out for a significant amount of time, Houston needs to get creative. Their farm system is depleted at the moment, so it’s going to be tough for them to swing a trade.
Still, it might be worth it to have an insurance policy. King went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA in 30 starts and one relief appearance with San Diego last year.
The 29-year-old also pitched 173 2/3 innings, striking out 201 batters and posting a 4.2 WAR in 2024.
The Astros’ window may be closing soon, as Jose Altuve is aging, so it certainly makes sense for them to try and pick up a starter, and King would be a perfect fit for a team that still wants to win in 2025.
We’ll see how Houston approaches this situation and if they’ll try to make a trade.
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