Houston Astros: The Missing Hole in the Roster

The Astros Need to Get Serious about the Holes in the Roster That Have Not Yet Been Filled

The offseason for the Astros could have been more entertaining so far. The only major addition has been the trade that gave the Astros Ken Giles, but one player will not put the Astros into World Series positon for next year. Many people are anxiously waiting on where Yoenis Cespedes will sign and a lot of Astros fans want him to take his talents to Houston.

Cespedes would be a great addition, no doubt, but the Astros are already full in the outfield. The Astros need to focus on getting a starting pitcher to put them in great position to capture the American League Pennant this season.

The Astros starting rotation would consist of Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, Lance McCullers, Mike Fiers and BLANK. Blank meaning, I have absolutely no faith in the remaining options. The fifth spot would probably be Scott Feldman at this point.

Feldman is not a terrible pitcher, but he has been a player with a lot of injury concerns and doesn’t really have the best stuff. Last year, Feldman was 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA. Again, not terrible, but to take the next step as a franchise, the Astros need to solidify the rotation. Cody Poage recently wrote who the Astros fifth starter could be. These players are not bad and could improve later on but, these players are not right now fits and would take time to fit as a starter.

The Astros need a starter that is ready to step in and pitch well, so, who are the options? Yovani Gallardo and Doug Fister remain options that I would be alright with, because they have been productive MLB pitchers in the past and could help out the Astros rotation a lot.

Fister had a down year last year with the Nationals. He was 5-7 with a 4.19 era. But the real potential Fister has is what he has done prior to last year. In 2014 Fister was 16-6 with a 2.41 era. He would fit well with the Astros as a number four starter and would put the Astros in a great position to make a deep run in the playoffs.

The next option could be Gallardo, who would also be a great number four starter. Gallardo was 13-11 with a 3.42 era. Gallardo is a pitcher who can hold down the fourth spot and would be a major upgrade to the back end of the Astros starting rotation. Gallardo would definitely cost less than Fister, but Fister could be the better option based on his past performance.

Next: Houston Astros: If Cespedes Signs, Which Outfielder Leaves?

The Astros have the hitters, position players, and bullpen to compete for an American League Championship, but to make it all the way they need to grab that fourth or fifth starter to have a legitimate shot. The Astros don’t want to go into the season having Feldman in the rotation or a young, unproven prospect. The Astros should want a pitcher that is proven and can win crucial games for the team in August and September. That pitcher could be Fister, Gallardo or some other proven player out there, but the Astros better get busy!