Surprise Astros arm might be changing their entire trade deadline strategy

The Houston Astros are starting to pull away from their AL West peers, sitting atop the division with a 5.5-game lead at the conclusion of action on June 18. After some early-season struggles, it would appear that the club's re-tool while competing strategy is working, which should plant them firmly in the buyers' club by the trade deadline.

One of Houston's biggest needs is starting pitching. Yes, the club has an electrifying one-two punch with Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez at the top, but beyond them, they've come up largely empty.

Ronel Blanco and Chicago Cubs' transplant, Hayden Wesneski, are on the shelf for the season, Lance McCullers Jr.'s comeback tour has been halted due to injury, and while Spencer Arrighetti is nearing a return, no one knows how long it will take for him to knock off the rust.

With so many injuries, Houston has been forced to count on unproven arms like Ryan Gusto and Colton Gordon, which have brought mixed results at best. One other arm they've recently turned to has been unexpectedly promising is Brandon Walter.

The 28-year-old southpaw has made just three starts for Houston, but has posted a 1.53 ERA and 2.73 FIP in 17.2 innings while striking out 9.68 batters per nine and posting a 52.1% ground ball rate. Those numbers are a continuation of his Triple-A performance, which saw him record a 2.08 ERA with 9.25 K/9 and induce ground balls at a 60.5% clip.

Brandon Walter's emergence with Astros may allow the club to pivot to other needs at the deadline

Assuming Arrighetti looks sharp upon his return and McCullers Jr. doesn't miss an extended period of time, Walter could hold down the fifth starter spot, and the Astros' rotation may turn from a weakness into a strength.

Should that come to fruition, Houston could then turn it's attention to solving its other glaring need at the deadline -- the offense. Houston's lineup is nowhere near as lethal as it's been in the past, and the club currently ranks 17th in runs scored with 306.

While there have been some standout performers, the decline of Jose Altuve, Christian Walker's struggles, and the absence of Yordan Alvarez have loomed large. Two glaring issues plague the Astros' lineup.

First, the club is extremely right-handed with few lefty-swinging options. Those that can bat from the left side for Houston have been abysmal this year, with a 68 wRC+ that ranks 29th in the league. Alvarez's eventual return will help here, but the club still needs to add additional firepower.

Second, the Astros would be wise to address second base. The aging Altuve can no longer be counted on to man the keystone consistently, and the once-valuable Mauricio Dubón has seen any offensive value he brought to the table evaporate this season.

While Houston could address both the rotation and these issues in the lineup, their weak farm system and mandated youth movement limit the ammunition they'll have to attack multiple needs at the deadline. As a result, if Walter can truly hold down the back of the rotation, the club will be free to use those precious resources elsewhere where the impact may be greater.

Three starts isn't enough of a sample size to make that call yet, but with the deadline a little over a month away, Walter has plenty of time to prove that he can truly be a solution for one of the Astros' biggest needs, changing their deadline calculus completely.

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