Astros' quest for pitching addition at trade deadline just got even harder

It’s clear that the Houston Astros have a starting pitching problem. While they entered play on Friday with the ninth-best starting pitcher ERA in baseball (3.56), that’s due in large part to incredible seasons from Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown, which is as good of a one-two punch that you’ll find in the American League. 

But even with that, they’ll still need to add some pitching if they want to truly make some noise in the postseason. This is particularly true of the Astros who have seen a number of starters deal with injuries early on in 2025.

And the good news is it seems like there will be plenty of options available at the trade deadline. The bad news, however, is that one of the biggest names who could have been available was ripped off the market earlier this week when Twins pitcher Pablo López went down with a grade 2 strain of the teres major in his throwing shoulder that’s expected to keep him out for eight to 12 weeks. 

Astros' quest for pitching addition at trade deadline just got even harder

An All-Star in 2022, López left his start against the Athletics on Wednesday while warming up ahead of the sixth inning due to what was termed at the time as “shoulder discomfort.” 

The Twins are no stranger to the injury, as it’s the same injury that caused Joe Ryan to miss the last two months of the 2024 season. 

That injury has derailed what’s been another great season for López, as he had a 2.82 ERA across his 60 2/3 innings prior to getting hurt, which was obviously a huge help to the Twins while also simultaneously helping his trade value. 

López’s name was first floated in trade rumors in the offseason, which makes sense since the Twins had spent all of the 2024 season cutting payroll. López is owed $21.75 million for each of the next two seasons, which, while not insane in today’s contract standards, seems to be a bit steep for the current Twins ownership. 

Now, there’s no chance that any team would trade for López’s contract due to his injury. 

But that doesn’t mean that the Astros should shut off any potential talks with the Twins. Jeff Passan recently reported that the Twins are going to continue with their “status quo” of not making high-impact moves, and highlighted starting pitcher Chris Paddack as a player who could be on the move. 

While Paddack isn’t on the same level as López, he would still be a huge boon to the Astros’ rotation. The 29-year-old is an impending free agent, and has tallied a 3.58 ERA in 65 1/3 innings for the Twins this year, and ranks in the 86th percentile in chase rate. He’d also immediately become the Astros’ No. 3 starter after Ronel Blanco’s injury.

Blanco is one of five Astros starters on the injured list, which is why the Astros have needed starts from prospects like Ryan Gusto and Colton Gordon. Paddack would be an instant plug-and-play option who could provide the lineup with some much-needed veteran depth. 

But still, he’s no López. We’ll have to wait and see if this is the first time the Astros get their heart broken by the starting pitching market. 

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