Astros predicted to trade for 3.34 ERA Diamondbacks righty starter

While the Houston Astros are in the market for a left-handed bat, and also looking for upgrades at left field and second base, there's another area of the roster that is a sneaky big need. That position of need is in the starting rotation.

With Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez, the Astros don't need an ace, but they do have a clear need for a strong number-three starter. With postseason series going at least three games, the Astros need another strong starter to feel comfortable in the postseason.

Chandler Rome of The Athletic predicts that the Astros and Dana Brown will make such a move. With a few options to choose from on the market, Rome predicts that the Astros will land Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly.

"Now, the Astros again need a third starter behind Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown." Rome writes. "They may not have enough prospects' capital to land Merrill Kelly - a Houston native in the final year of his contract - but if owner Jim Crane covets a splashy name while contemplating whether to cross into the luxury tax, Kelly fits the bill."

The Astros need to bolster their rotation, as after Brown and Valdez, the rest of the rotation is comprised of young starters and injured pitchers either struggling amid their return (Lance McCullers Jr.) or still working their way back (Cristian Javier, J.P. France, Luis Garcia, Spencer Arrighetti).

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Kelly, a 36-year-old veteran right-handed pitcher, would be a nice third starter for Houston. This season, he has a 3.34 ERA in 20 starts, and has an 8-5 record and 2.9 WAR this season.

Across his 116 innings pitched, Kelly has 113 strikeouts and 33 walks. He's also allowed 13 home runs and has a WHIP of 1.052. His 2025 season ERA+ is a 127, the third-highest mark of his seven-year career.

As a rental option, the Diamondbacks' righty wouldn't cost as much as some other starters on the market. However, he's still a good pitcher and will force the Astros to part with some of their top prospects due to a weak farm system.

But, regardless of cost and whether the Diamondbacks are willing to sell, adding a player like Kelly to the Astros' rotation would be a huge plus.

He's a veteran who'd be a steady presence in the rotation, who also has a 2.25 postseason ERA in four starts in Arizona's World Series run in 2023. If Rome's prediction were to come true, Houston would have an incredible top-three in the rotation, a strength which could carry the team deep into the postseason.

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