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While Houston added Varsho, they didn't add pitching, despite reportedly being close on a couple of deals. General Manager Dana Brown reportedly said the prospect price was too steep to justify the deals on the table.
Instead, Brown is essentially treating the healthy returns of Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco, both back from Tommy John surgery last month, as trade acquisitions of their own. It's a bet on health rather than a move on the trade market.
Here's a look at the current rotation: Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert, Cristian Javier, Wesneski, and Blanco. This is the group Houston will lean on through the stretch run, and potentially into October.
Hunter Brown is the ace, Peter Lambert has been the most consistent arm in the rotation all year, and the rest are pitchers working their way back from injury, trying to find their footing again. Recovering from Tommy John is no small thing, and recovery takes time, so the handful of starts that Blanco and Wesneski have had are not an accurate representation of who they once were or who they could be come mid-August after finding their footing.
Not everything in this rotation has looked great. Tatsuya Imai was moved to the bullpen and currently has a 5.55 ERA over 15 starts, per MLB, and Mike Burrows landed on the IL after a 5.99 ERA in 17 starts, per MLB. Those struggles are part of why the rotation needed reinforcements in the first place.
But there's real reason for optimism too. Wesneski made his return on July 29 and picked up the win, allowing three runs over 5 2/3 innings against the Angels. Blanco followed a few days later, going 4 2/3 innings with three runs allowed against the Rangers. Neither outing was dominant, but both showed the kind of length Houston has been missing.
Hunter Brown has been trending up since his own return from injury, and Lambert continues to be one of the most reliable arms on the staff.
Still, there's a real case for concern. Asking two pitchers who are just weeks removed from major surgery to carry meaningful, playoff-stakes innings is a gamble. If either Wesneski or Blanco falters, Houston doesn't have much behind them.
This is the rotation Houston is taking into the stretch run. No reinforcements are coming. Whether the bet on health pays off will be one of the biggest storylines of August.
Continue reading...
Instead, Brown is essentially treating the healthy returns of Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco, both back from Tommy John surgery last month, as trade acquisitions of their own. It's a bet on health rather than a move on the trade market.
Here's a look at the current rotation: Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert, Cristian Javier, Wesneski, and Blanco. This is the group Houston will lean on through the stretch run, and potentially into October.
Hunter Brown is the ace, Peter Lambert has been the most consistent arm in the rotation all year, and the rest are pitchers working their way back from injury, trying to find their footing again. Recovering from Tommy John is no small thing, and recovery takes time, so the handful of starts that Blanco and Wesneski have had are not an accurate representation of who they once were or who they could be come mid-August after finding their footing.
Not everything in this rotation has looked great. Tatsuya Imai was moved to the bullpen and currently has a 5.55 ERA over 15 starts, per MLB, and Mike Burrows landed on the IL after a 5.99 ERA in 17 starts, per MLB. Those struggles are part of why the rotation needed reinforcements in the first place.
But there's real reason for optimism too. Wesneski made his return on July 29 and picked up the win, allowing three runs over 5 2/3 innings against the Angels. Blanco followed a few days later, going 4 2/3 innings with three runs allowed against the Rangers. Neither outing was dominant, but both showed the kind of length Houston has been missing.
Hunter Brown has been trending up since his own return from injury, and Lambert continues to be one of the most reliable arms on the staff.
Still, there's a real case for concern. Asking two pitchers who are just weeks removed from major surgery to carry meaningful, playoff-stakes innings is a gamble. If either Wesneski or Blanco falters, Houston doesn't have much behind them.
This is the rotation Houston is taking into the stretch run. No reinforcements are coming. Whether the bet on health pays off will be one of the biggest storylines of August.
Continue reading...
