The Houston Astros have overcome a rocky start to the 2025 season and now sit firmly at the top in the American League West. But now, the second half of the season looms.
Houston is up five games on the Seattle Mariners entering play on Friday. Even after the losses of Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, Houston remains one of the AL's best.
They're going to need some help though in the second half. Their starting rotation has been hit hard by injuries.
Chandler Rome of The Athletic made a bold prediction, that Houston will acquire Merrill Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"A two-headed monster atop Houston Astros’ rotation. An Arizona Diamondbacks team teetering toward selling. Sound familiar? Six years ago, the two instances inspired Houston’s stunning trade for Zack Greinke, adding him to the duo of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Now, the Astros again need a third starter behind Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown," Rome wrote.
"They may not have enough prospect capital to land Merrill Kelly — a Houston native in the final year of his contract — but if owner Jim Crane covets a splashy name while contemplating whether to cross into the luxury tax, Kelly fits the bill."
Follow the Sporting News on WhatsApp
The Astros will certainly have to pay up in order to land an arm of Kelly's caliber. If the 2024 trade deadline was any indication, rental pitching will come at a high cost.
However, Kelly would be a solid fit in Houston. The Astros need an arm to boost their rotation.
Entering the second half, Kelly is 8-5 with a 3.34 ERA and 2.9 WAR in 20 starts with Arizona. He has also pitched 116 innings and recorded 113 strikeouts.
It will certainly be interesting to see where the Astros land in their search for a starter. Kelly might be the best option with Zac Gallen and Sandy Alcantara both struggling.
More MLB: Astros have one major item on offseason to-do list