Astros immediately wanting Mike Burrows to add new pitch is a risky gamble

The Houston Astros finally bolstered their rotation after trading for Mike Burrows, and there are a lot of implications of that move. Not only are some of Houston's injured arms on a shorter leash now, but giving up Jacob Melton may impact Jake Meyers' availability in trades the rest of the offseason. However, it is an adjustment that the Astros are already telegraphing that could have the biggest impact and carry the biggest risk.

Burrows has typically relied on four pitches in his short time in the big leagues. Almost 40% of the time last season, he leaned on his four-seam fastball, which he throws pretty hard, but it graded out as mediocre at best when the dust settled. Burrows also has both a slider and a curveball, with the former being the superior pitch, as well as a changeup, which may be his best pitch.

However, the Astros seem to have some other plans for Burrows. According to comments from general manager Dana Brown, Houston is going to teach Burrows to throw a two-seam fastball in hopes of unlocking even more

Astros decision to have Mike Burrows add two-seam fastball feels very risky

Now, giving Houston the benefit of the doubt here is completely fair, as they have a history of getting these adjustments right. Hunter Brown's ascendance last year was a clear example of the value of adding the pitch, and the Astros' adjustment to Yusei Kikuchi's pitch usage turned him into an absolute menace in his short time in Houston.

The issue is that a two-seam fastball carries a lot of risk. It used to be true that sinkers down in the zone were the best way to get ground balls, and that was great. However, over time, hitters started prioritizing launch angle more, and those swing adjustments did not match up well with sinkers, as they often didn't have the velocity to miss bats, and they can get launched into orbit with these new-ish bat paths.

Again, it all comes down to the exact adjustments and pitch usage. If Burrows is able to fold in a two-seamer to keep hitters off balance and allow his changeup to play up even more, great. However, if Houston gets too cute and Burrows forces the usage of a sinker that may not be ready for prime time, the early part of his Astros tenure could get ugly in a hurry.