The Houston Astros Should Trade for Johnny Cueto

Jun 26, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher

(47) pitches during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

As we continue our we should/we shouldn’t trade for a starter series, we will not turn our attention to the Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto. No, he is not Johnny Drama from Entourage, he is the ace of the Reds pitching staff. Jonny Cueto has bounced back from some unproductive seasons and injury issues that plagued his early career. Before we spend too much time on Cueto, let’s look at the Astros current situation with their pitching staff and what we can expect the Astros to do.

The Astros have the third best team earned-run average in the American League, with a 3.52 ERA compared to the league average 3.84 ERA. They also have the second-lowest batting average against with a .235 batting average against. As a staff, they have seven shutouts.

The Astros already have an ace in Dallas Keuchel, who is being highly considered for the nod as the starting pitcher for the 2015 All-Star game for the American League. The second best pitcher is probably the emerging star Lance McCullers followed by last year’s breakout Collin McHugh, who is not as effective as his 2014 self. Until Scott Feldman returns, the fourth and fifth starter duties fall to the young phenom Vincent Velasquez and Luhnow’s reclamation project Dan Straily.

Straily is set to make his first start with the Astros tonight, but which version of Straily will we see, the 2013 or 2014 version? He thinks he has found some mechanical things that make him successful earlier in his career, so he could be a big factor down the stretch.

However, with the unknowns in the rotation as well as young pitchers who could be put on an innings limit, the Astros are in the market for a starting pitcher. There are several names that the Astros have been rumored linked to, including Cole Hamels, Cueto, Scott Kazmir, Jeff Samardzija, and many others. Yes, trading for a number one or two starter will be costly, but another ace pitcher could be beneficial.

Next: Johnny Cueto is the Chosen One