Astros Relief Help Rumors: Hunter Cervenka

Relief help seems to be high on the Astros wish list this July for the trade deadline.

Per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Astros have inquired to the Atlanta Braves about left-hander reliever Hunter Cervenka. However, it was noted that Cervenka could be nothing more than a fallback option for the Astros.

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Cervenka, a 26-year old from Baytown, TX, is pitching in the Major Leagues for the first time this season. The native Texan has appeared in 48 games this year for the Atlanta Braves allowing ten earned runs in 28.2 innings pitched, which has translated into a 3.14 ERA/3.74 FIP. He has also walked 18 and struck out 33 batters this season.

This rumor does makes sense for Houston as the Astros are also reportedly in on New York Yankees relievers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller. Of course, the task of acquiring Chapman and Miller won’t be easy when considering the price tag associated with the left-handed duo from New York. So thinking of a backup plan is probably a wise idea.

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This is just one of the many rumors that will be concerning the Astros over the next ten or so days. And besides a starting pitcher, the Astros also need another left-handed reliever when the struggles of Tony Sipp are considered. So this rumor has some chance of actually happening.

**Statistics provided by Fangraphs & Baseball-Reference**