Why a Juan Soto Trade Makes Sense For the Astros

The Astros have a deep starting rotation with two solid prospects who otherwise would be untouchable if it weren’t for the fact that Soto comes with three years of control.

While it would be painful to let some combination of Hunter Brown, Pedro Leon, Korey Lee, Forrest Whitley and/or potentially Cristian Javier and Jose Siri go, the Astros still have a strong rotation with Verlander, Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia and the soon returning Lance McCullers Jr.

Those would be a great one through four in your starting rotation for the post season. Toss in the bullpen of Ryne Stanek, Phil Maton, Hector Neris, Ryan Pressly and Rafael Montero should any of those starters not last past the fifth inning not to mention Jose Urquidy and Jake Odorizzi for long relief and that is a stacked pitching staff to go with a monster one through eight.

The Astros are now past their punishment from the 2017 sign stealing scandal, so they’ll return to bringing in first and second round picks and can focus on replenishing the farm system while Soto, Alvarez, Tucker, Bregman, Altuve and Peña maintain a strong one through six offensively for the next three years.

It would be betting a lot on this year, but the Astros are already in a great position to be one of the top-two seeds which now looms even larger avoiding a best two out of three wild card series where anything can happen.

The longer a series is, the more likely the better team can avoid a bad bounce here or there changing the outcome of their post season hopes.

The Astros need to shoot for the best record in the American League, if at least not the two seed and the sooner they pounce on getting Soto for as much of the season as possible the better.

No time like the present to plan for the future.