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Corey Kluber #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during a game against the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field on September 16, 2022 in St Petersburg, Florida.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
The Houston Astros secured their second championship in franchise history largely on the back of a dominant pitching staff, one that led the American League with a 2.90 ERA in 2022. But Houston's vaunted rotation is now without its ace for 2023.
Justin Verlander earned a major deal in free agency on Monday, as he signed a two-year, $86 million contract with the New York Mets. And despite entering his age-40 season in 2023, it's not hard to see why Verlander commanded such a massive deal. He turned in perhaps the best season of his career in 2022, a campaign in which he sported a 1.75 ERA across 175 innings.
Houston should still have a rotation near the top of the American League, even after Verlander's departure. Framber Valdez can likely assume the role of Opening Day starter after a brilliant World Series, and Houston could enter a playoff series comfortable slotting Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr. behind Valdez. Yet as the old adage goes, you can never have too much starting pitching. Houston's rotation depth was one of its greatest strengths in this year's run to the Fall Classic. Reinforcing such depth may be a prudent move ahead of 2023.
Crane and company aren't breaking the bank on starting pitching after Verlander walked, especially given their interest in potentially making upgrades at other positions. But there are a number of mid-tier starters that could merit consideration on a one-year or cheap, multi-year deal.
Which pitchers could the Astros go after if they need to augment their 2023 rotation? Let's sort through some options below.
Andrew Heaney
We briefly touched on Heaney's fit in Houston last week, and unless Houston is in the market for a major free-agent arm, the former Dodger and Angel is perhaps the best option available. A move to an NL West power resulted in Heaney's best career season in 2022, with a 3.10 ERA across 14 starts. Heaney's 29 percent strikeout-to-walk percentage ranked second in all of baseball, trailing only Braves phenom Spencer Strider. And while there may be some durability concerns with Heaney, his production could frankly be a luxury given Houston's deep crop of arms. If Heaney pops, he could be an effective rotation piece, or even another lights-out arm for Dusty Baker in the bullpen in the playoffs.
Andrew Heaney #28 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the third inning in game three of the National League Division Series at PETCO Park on October 14, 2022 in San Diego, California.
Harry How/Getty ImagesJohnny Cueto
Cueto is nearing the final years of his career, and he's not missing bats at nearly the same rate as his peak after posting a 15.7 percent strikeout rate in 2022. And yet, as Crane and advisor Jeff Bagwell may be quick to note, the advanced metrics may not paint the full picture. Cueto is as crafty as they come. He has a deep mix of pitches that induces plenty of weak contact. The 36-year-old held opponents to three runs or fewer in 21 of 25 starts in 2022. He went at least six innings 19 times. Add in Cueto's close relationship with manager Dusty Baker from their time together in Cincinnati, and Cueto may be the perfect option for Houston on a one-year deal.
Corey Kluber
The two-time Cy Young winner turned in a middling 4.34 ERA last season, though he was still relatively effective across 31 starts thanks to an AL-best 1.2 walks per nine innings. Kluber was additionally able to generate plenty of whiffs on pitches outside the zone, and while he is more of a five-and-dive starter at this point, such a skill-set could be valuable in a six-man Astros rotation. Something around $10-12 million on a one-year deal could be a smart investment.
Noah Syndergaard #43 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on against the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game Five of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park on November 03, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Elsa/Getty ImagesNoah Syndergaard
This should be considered more of a reclamation project than anything. The former Mets hurler saw his strikeout rate tumble to a middling 16.8 percent last season in split duty with the Angels and Phillies, and he ranked in the bottom 12 percent of all pitchers in both strikeout rate and whiff percentage. But perhaps there's still a worthwhile pitcher left in the 2016 All-Star. Syndergaard embraced his sinker en route to plenty of weak contact last season, and such a strategy could play well in Minute Maid Park. With a one-year deal likely, perhaps the Astros will take a flier on the pitcher they bested in Game 5 of the 2022 Fall Classic.
Ross Stripling
Astros fans are familiar with Stripling, a Texas A&M product who logged his first five MLB seasons with the Dodgers from 2016-20. And after rocky campaigns 2020 and 2021, Stripling appeared to regain his Los Angeles form in 2022. He posted a 3.01 ERA across 134 1/3 innings with the Blue Jays, and his paltry 3.7 percent walk rate was a career-low and among the top two percent of all pitchers. Stripling's stuff isn't quite as dynamic as Heaney's. But the 33-year-old could provide a wealth of innings at an affordable cost, potentially nearing his career-best 3.1 WAR in 2022.