Despite the rocky start to the season, the Houston Astros sit atop the American League West standings again. With the Astros 2.5 games up over the Seattle Mariners, there is still room to separate themselves from the pack.
The Astros, with a plethora of pitchers on the injured list, like Christian Javier and Ronel Blanco, need at the position is clear. In an article from Dylan Sanders of Sports Illustrated, the Astros were linked to Toronto Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman.
Gausman is 34 years old and is under contract through the 2026 season. The Astros would pick up Gausman’s $23 million contract in 2026 if they traded for him. In his 13th MLB season, Gausman has been solid for the Blue Jays.
Through his first 13 starts, Gausman has a 3.87 ERA, a 5-4 record, and 73 strikeouts over 76.2 innings pitched. Throughout his MLB career, Gausman has 107 wins and 106 losses.
He’s also accumulated 25.2 career WAR and has a career ERA of 3.84. He’s not just consistent, but he’s almost always been an above-average pitcher since 2013. If he joined the Astros, it’d be his sixth different MLB team he’s been a part of.
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Adding a starter of Gausman’s caliber would be a huge boost to the Astros’ starting rotation. He’d pair nicely with Ben Brown and Framber Valdez in the starting rotation, with plenty of room for injured starters to make their return to the rotation.
The Astros may be forced to move decent prospects and assets to land Gausman, especially considering the Blue Jays are still within striking distance of the postseason. However, Gausman is a good trade target for the Astros, and their connection to him isn’t a surprise.
