The Houston Astros will be one of the more intriguing bubble teams to watch at the Major League Baseball trade deadline.
It’s hard to envision the Astros selling, given the fact that they’ve made the playoffs in eight straight seasons. But how well they play over the next two months will likely determine whether they are buyers to be reckoned with or simply stand pat.
Now that the Astros know they’ll be missing starting pitcher Ronel Blanco for the rest of the season, they could be a factor in the trade market for starters. Put it this way: It’s far more likely Houston will trade for a starter than move on from Framber Valdez.
Who might the Astros acquire, though? One baseball writer has some intriguing ideas.
On Wednesday, Kyle Morton of Astros on SI named Tampa Bay Rays starter Zack Littell, who is making $5.7 million in this, his final year of arbitration, as one potential trade option for the Astros.
“Even as Tampa Bay hangs around the periphery of the playoff race, the organization is always looking to capitalize on other teams’ needs to secure value for itself,” Morton wrote.
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“The Astros could afford to overpay a bit for Littell, and he would make for a solid, reliable fourth starter for the rest of the year.”
Littell, 29, has a 3.97 ERA in 11 starts this season. He’s not a strikeout guy at all, with only 42 punchouts in 65 2/3 innings. However, he’s giving the Rays a reliable six innings per start, and his 3.8 percent walk rate is one of the best in the sport.
It’s not as though Littell could be expected to become an ace for Houston, but if they find themselves hurting for innings by late July, he’d be a perfect reinforcement.
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