The Houston Astros are in first place and could be buyers at the trade deadline this season and players like Johnny Cueto, Scott Kazmir and Mike Leake could be in the mix over Cole Hamels and this comes as George Springer is being placed on the DL with an injury and the outfielder could be out for over a month after getting hit with a pitch.
The Astros have been one of the best teams in baseball all season and they head into the All-Star break as one of the favorites to make the playoffs. According to the Houston Chronicle, the team will have to play without Springer in the lineup for up to six weeks after the outfielder went down with a fractured wrist. Hardball Talk reports that he was hit on the right wrist by a pitch from Edinson Volquez and it was a 96-mph fastball.
The Astros could be buyers this summer at the trading deadline and most around the MLB thinks the team needs another starter to make a real playoffs run. The team has gotten some fantastic pitching from Dallas Keuchel, but Colin McHugh has been up and down and getting an extra starter could be huge. Hamels is going to cost a ton and that may not be the plan for the Astros, but a player like Kazmir or Mike Leake could be easier to acquire. The Yankees also could be in the mix for players like Cueto or Leake, as CBS Sports reports that Brian Cashman is looking for more starting pitching.
Springer has been hitting well over the last month with a .325 batting average since the start of June and he also has had 12 RBI in that time. Alex Presley was called up, according to Hardball Talk, and he will take over in right field for Springer. Springer has been off to a solid start this season and coming into the All-Star break he has 13 home runs, 29 RBI and 43 runs scored in 75 games played for the Astros. Springer is a former first round pick and he has helped give the Astros some consistency at the top of the order.
The team just won a nice series against the Royals and Springer comes in putting up a plus-2.0 WAR this season and that has made him valuable for the Astros. Springer has power and he put up 20 home runs and 51 RBIs in half a season of work as a rookie and he has been trending upward despite a high strikeout count. The team previously called up Carlos Correa and they have a young team, but the pitching has been fantastic and now they will need some of that young depth to help from the minors with Springer out.
The Astros have been one of the best teams in baseball and now they could be buyers at the deadline with the deep farm system they have. Hamels may not waive his no trade, but the team has options on the market in Kazmir and Leake that could cost less than Hamels or Cueto.
