The Houston Astros are struggling a little bit. They have lost four games in a row and have watched their lead over the Seattle Mariners in the American League West shrink to four games.
They overcame a slow start to the season to entrench themselves at the top of the division, but have some holes to fill if they want to make a run in the second half..
Houston's starting rotation has been hit hard by injuries. They could certainly use some help at the trade deadline.
Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN listed their Top 50 trade candidates. Among them was Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller, and the Astros were listed as a possible fit.
"Not only is Keller in the midst of a career-best season with a 3.53 ERA, he's under contract for another three years at a very reasonable $55.7 million. The Pirates need bats, and moving Keller is the likeliest way to fill that void."
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The Astros have several players, including members of their starting rotation on the injured list. Adding Keller would give them somebody who can provide innings and keep them in games.
The veteran right-hander is 4-10 in his 21 starts and has a 1.9 WAR. He also has struck out 97 batters in 125 innings of work.
The Astros might have to give up some key prospects to get a deal done. Their system is a little thin after trading away three top prospects to land Yusei Kikuchi last summer.
However, it might be worth paying the price necessary to land Keller. They need innings from their rotation, and they need to find a way to settle things down for the second half.
Keller could be exactly what Houston needs in order to separate themselves from the rest of the AL West. We'll see if they make a move to boost their rotation.
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