Houston Astros: Three strategies to fill the 500 inning void in the rotation
By T.A. Mock
Internal options
Of course, there are also the internal options that the Houston Astros could turn to without having to give up additional financial capital and prospect capital to fill that 500 inning void. The good news is the team has a plethora of options internally.
There are several guys on this team that have a lot of starting pitching experience that have been moved to the bullpen simply because the Astros just had too many starting pitching options to choose from and someone had to get bumped.
Collin McHugh is the first name that immediately comes to mind to return to the starting rotation. 2017 was only his first full year in the bullpen where he made his first relief appearances since his first taste of the MLB in 2013.
McHugh had an excellent year out of the pen but would likely want another crack at the rotation before he hits the open market next offseason. He is a prime candidate to return to the bullpen and is likely already on the team’s shortlist.
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The next man up could very well be Brad Peacock. Peacock has a lot of starts on his resume for the Houston Astros but after his success in the bullpen last year, he was an easy candidate to move to the bullpen this year. But, Peacock was also extremely successful as a starter as recent as last year and he could seamlessly slide back into the rotation.
After Peacock and McHugh, there are still quite a few options that could step into pitch those 500 innings. Josh James is another candidate as an up and comer who thoroughly impressed this year at the MLB level. Framber Valdez is another guy who had a cup of tea this year and the team could feel is ready for a permanent spot.
After James and Valdez, there are still options this team could pick up from their minor leagues to fill this role. Rogelio Armenteros is a guy that has nothing left to prove in the minors and could be a good middle of the rotation option. Also, let’s not forget top prospect Forrest Whitley who has had a great Fall League and could prove he is ready for the big leagues in Spring Training.