Next order of business for Astros: find starter or rotation help
The Houston Astros made a splash on the trade circuit over the weekend when they acquired flame-throwing closer Ken Giles from the Philadelphia Phillies for a package of young players including pitchers Vincent Velasquez and Mark Appel.
Having addressed the club's need for bullpen help, GM Jeff Luhnow spoke with the media regarding the Astros' next order of business: finding solutions for two other areas of need. As quoted by Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle:
Luhnow's use of 'creative' could lead down a few different avenues. Will the Astros fire off another big trade to acquire an impact bat, or will they fill their remaining gaps via free agency? Outfielders Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes are both still available on the market, though it's unclear just how much money the Astros have to spend in that capacity.
“I think we’re going to look at either bringing in another pitcher for the rotation or a bat of some sort. We’re going to be creative and think through different options and see where we end up but our work’s not done.”
Might they continue their quest to put together an even more potent roster next season with a flashy free agent signing to go along with their other offseason moves thus far? They're obviously not finished tweaking the roster, so it wouldn't be surprising if they make headlines again relatively soon.
