Astros face stiff competition for their biggest need as trade deadline nears

The Houston Astros have put together a first half that was at the upper echelon of even the most rosy of expectations. With that said, the club enters the trade deadline season with a not-so-insignificant list of needs that must be addressed in order to keep the momentum humming in the second half and make a deep playoff run.

Chief among those needs is depth in the starting rotation. Hunter Brown is a true ace and Cy Young contender. With a 2.09 ERA since June 1, southpaw Framber Valdez isn't far behind Brown in the chase for the award. Yet behind those two, Lance McCullers Jr.'s comeback tour has left a lot to be desired, and injuries have decimated the rest of the rotation depth.

Even with Spencer Arrighetti beginning his rehab assignment, his addition to the collection that includes Ryan Gusto, Colton Gordon, and Brandon Walter puts Houston in a position where inexperience reigns supreme in the middle and back of the rotation.

With at least four starters needed to navigate the playoff bracket, this has become a very significant need for the Astros. Unfortunately, the same can be said for many of their rivals and chief contenders.

Astros face competition from numerous contenders to scratch their itch for rotation help at the July 31 trade deadline

As the deadline nears, contenders such as the Yankees, Mets, and Cubs are sniffing around some of the top options on the starting pitching market. Other teams like the Blue Jays and Red Sox have been connected to the rumor mill as well.

On top of the established rumors, an injury to another contender's rotation could thrust even more teams into the fray, like how the Dodgers appeared desperate for rotation help earlier in the season.

That means competition will be fierce, and the pool is limited. Some of the top options, such as Arizona's Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, and Kansas City's Seth Lugo, may or may not be available, depending on how the next week-plus of games go for them.

That means competition for those who are guaranteed to be on the market, such as the Pirates' Mitch Keller, the Marlins' Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, and Baltimore's Zach Eflin, among others, will be fierce.

Unfortunately, Houston's bottom-ranked farm system doesn't position them well to win a bidding war here, and could force the club to settle for bargain options like Pirates lefty Andrew Heaney. With a 4.59 ERA on the season, would a player like Heaney even be an upgrade over what the team already has is a legitimate question.

Finally, with resources being so scarce, perhaps it would make more sense for Houston to switch their focus to their other needs, which include adding a left-handed bat and finding a solution at either second base or left field.

With what seem to be skyrocketing prices for starting pitching help, Houston might need to consider forgoing what might be their biggest need in favor of solving other areas of opportunity to make the most of their limited resources.

And if they do dip their toes into the starting pitching market, it probably won't be for anyone who will really get your motor running, unfortunately.

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