MLB Trade Rumors: Houston Astros Interested in Pirates Starting Pitcher Gerrit Cole

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Friday, January 12, 2018

The Houston Astros currently have one of the best starting rotations in Major League Baseball (MLB) with former American League (AL) Cy Young award winners Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander leading the way with Lance McCullers Jr., Charlie Morton, Brad Peacock and Collin McHugh behind them. But it looks like they are planning to add one more big-name pitcher to their lineup.

Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan was the first to report that the Astros have entered the mix for Pittsburgh Pirates ace Gerrit Cole in the past few days, but nothing is imminent.

According to Passan, left fielder Derek Fisher's name was mentioned as a potential return for Cole, and he said the Astros would likely have to ship top outfield prospect Kyle Tucker or pitcher Forrest Whitley to the Pirates as well as the centerpiece of the package.

As of the moment, negotiations seemed to have hit a snag, but a deal could still happen.

"Cole was Houston's top target last summer, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. When a deal could not be put together, the team opted for Verlander, who flourished down the stretch and in the postseason for the World Series champions," MLB Network's Jon Morosi said in his report.

"A key wrinkle in the trade discussions is Cole's arbitration status: His case remains unresolved for 2018 and the filing deadline is Friday. The Astros are therefore incentivized to finalize the trade before Friday so they can file at their number rather than inherit the Pirates' figure," he added.

Cole went 12–12 in 33 starts with the Pirates last season, and he posted a 4.26 earned run average (ERA) to go with 196 strikeouts in 203 innings pitched.

Aside from Cole, the Astros have also been eyeing free-agent aces Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta. Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Chris Archer has also been mentioned as a viable trade target.