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5 offseason moves the Houston Astros can make to get back to the World Series

By Joshua Sadlock

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 30: George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros watches a two-run home run by Howie Kendrick (not pictured) of the Washington Nationals hit the foul pole during the seventh inning in Game Seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 30: George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros watches a two-run home run by Howie Kendrick (not pictured) of the Washington Nationals hit the foul pole during the seventh inning in Game Seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 15: Zack Wheeler #45 of the New York Mets in action against the Los Angeles Dodgers during of a game at Citi Field on September 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 15: Zack Wheeler #45 of the New York Mets in action against the Los Angeles Dodgers during of a game at Citi Field on September 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

1. Sign Zack Wheeler

For the Astros, re-signing ace Gerrit Cole is an extreme longshot, but that doesn’t mean they have to sit out the starting-pitching market entirely this offseason. Houston should enter free agency confident in their ability to take any power-armed starter with potential and turn him into an All-Star. Wade Miley gave them nearly 170 innings with a 3.98 ERA this season, for crying out loud.

Finding untapped potential in starting pitchers has been the hallmark of the Astros analytical approach. They’ve worked their magic on the likes of Cole, Justin Verlander and Charlie Morton. For their next trick, Houston should set their sights on right-hander Zack Wheeler who is coming off seven very frustrating but tantalizing seasons with the New York Mets.

Few pitchers in baseball have teased as much potential in their careers as the 29-year-old Wheeler has in his injury-plagued tenure with the Mets. At times, he was viewed as having the best arm out of Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey. Wheeler was 18-16 with a 3.50 ERA in 49 starts in 2013 and 2014 before the injury bug bit, and bit hard. He missed the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons and was limited to just 86.1 innings in 2017.

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Wheeler has finally found health the last two seasons and has rebuilt a case for himself as a top free-agent target. He went 23-15 with a 3.65 ERA in 2018 and 2019 and averaged over six innings per start. If fully healthy, Wheeler has an electric arsenal and stellar command. He is just begging to be fully untapped as an ace, and the Astros are the team to do it, and at a fraction of the cost of what they would have to pay to keep Cole.

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