5 reasons the Houston Astros will win it all in 2015
Midseason trades set the Astros up for immediate success
In recent years, the Houston Astros have been the team auctioning off their best players at the MLB trade deadline, opting to stockpile talent instead. In 2015, the roles were reversed.
The Astros’ front office has realized that the time to win is now, and the deals they made in the days leading up to the July 31st deadline reflected this sentiment.
Houston finalized its first big trade on July 23rd, acquiring top-end starting pitcher Scott Kazmir from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for a pair of minor league prospects. In four starts with the Astros, Kazmir has recorded a 1.04 earned run average and is averaging a career-best in hits allowed per nine innings.
While it will be difficult to maintain this level of play throughout the final month-and-a-half of the regular season, his recent performance provides plenty of hope for the postseason. With Cy Young hopeful Dallas Keuchel headlining the starting rotation, the addition of Kazmir gives Houston a good chance of jumping out to a 2-0 series lead against any opponent they face in October.
Aside from upgrading the pitching staff significantly, the Astros also managed to turn a weakness in center field into a strength by acquiring two-time All-Star Carlos Gomez from the Milwaukee Brewers, as well as starting pitcher Mike Fiers. The blockbuster trade cost Houston four of its top prospects, but for a team that is all-in on contending in 2015, it was the right move to make.
Fiers does not have to be elite, he just needs to be good enough to add certainty to the revolving door at the back end of the rotation. And regardless of a recent slump, Gomez is a major threat in all facets of the game. If he is able to return to his All-Star form, he will be one of the most versatile players in baseball and could become the star of the postseason.
Houston also recently acquired veteran reliever Oliver Perez from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Astros did not bankrupt their farm system for a single player, as they would have done by trading for pitchers David Price, Johnny Cueto or Cole Hamels. Instead, they made three solid deals that landed four quality players, two of which will have a major impact on Houston’s postseason success.