Astros GM Dana Brown 'would love' to land No. 3 starter at trade deadline

Yahoo

29-07-2025

The Houston Astros are going to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline, and it's only a question of what kind og players they target. With needs at second base, outfield, third base, and in the rotation, there are plenty of avenues for general manager Dana Brown to take.
But Brown has one area of the roster that he wants to address at the trade deadline, even if it's not the highest priority need. According to former GM Jim Bowden, during an appearance on Foul Territory, Brown "would love" to add another starting pitcher.
"He wants a game three starter for the playoffs," Bowden said. "They feel great about Valdez and Hunter Brown pitching games one and two... he would love to get that game three starter."
The Astros have one of the better one-two punches atop their starting rotation. Valdez has a 2.62 ERA and an 11-4 record with 141 strikeouts in 21 starts this season, while Brown has a 2.54 ERA and a 9-5 record with 149 strikeouts over his 21 starts.
But, aside from those two, the Astros' rotation has a lot of question marks, thanks in large part to a ridiculous amount of pitchers on the injured list.
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Spencer Arrighetti, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia, Brandon Walter, and J.P. France all could return at some point this season, while Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco are done for the year.
Any of those starters could be the team's number three starter for a postseason series. But Brown is looking to the trade market to land such a starting pitcher instead of relying on the uncertain returns of their injured starting pitchers.
Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks is one name to monitor, as he'd be a more affordable option than some of the controllable pitchers on the market.
While Bowden reports that the Astros "would love" to add another starting pitcher, those options are expensive and limited. But, if the right deal presents itself, the Astros could pounce and add a new starting pitcher at the 2025 MLB trade deadline.
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