Astros rumors: 3 biggest trade deadline mistakes

3. Not getting more pitching depth

The Astros traded starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi to the Atlanta Braves for reliever Will Smith and while they could use some bullpen depth, the Astros dipped into their starting pitching depth.

Right now, the starting rotation is in a great spot. Justin Verlander will be a Cy Young Award finalist this year. Framber Váldez is having a great season. Cristian Javier is having a good season. José Urquidy and Luis Garcia are both pitching right around league average (106 and 100 ERA+).

That rotation should be great in the postseason. But what if one or more of them suffers an injury? With Odorizzi gone, those five pitchers are the only pitchers that have made a start for the Astros this season.

If Lance McCullers Jr. returns and he’s truly healthy, then the potential issue would be alleviated on the starting pitching front. In the bullpen, they don’t have much depth either. Brandon Bielak has had a good season as both a starter and reliever (only in relief in a handful of games in the majors) but outside of him, there is not a lot of depth there. In Triple-A, they are 45-58 and in last place for a reason: there’s not much quality there.

The Astros are probably the best team in the American League but if they suffer an injury or two, they could suffer a lot because of the lack of depth they have around the team in general.