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Charlie Morton
Acquiring a pitcher proved necessary after watching the 2016 season unfold. The decline of Dallas Keuchel and the injury to Lance McCullers showed the Astros truly needed to improve their pitching staff heading into 2017.
Not only that but the departure of Doug Fister made it very clear the Astros would looking for pitching. Charlie Morton is the first pitching move made by the Astros. Even though Morton struggled in 2016 with injuries, there is enormous potential for the veteran.
Morton boasts excellent spin rate levels with his pitches. He is a ground ball specialist, and with this defense, he will look to find greater success. Morton will have a chance to work with the coaching staff that gave us Cy Keuchel and Collin McHugh. The ceiling is high for the 33-year-old, and I believe he is happy for this opportunity.
Next: Astros Agree to Deal with Outfielder Josh Reddick
All in all, these moves are a great sign of the drive the front office has to help our Astros find success and advance through the postseason. The efforts to improve this team are just beginning, and I look forward to their next moves. The addition of a top starting pitcher would be the next move for the Stros, and a necessary one at that.
***Statistics and Data provided by Baseball Reference, ESPN, and MLB***