The Houston Astros still have some contracts to settle with their arbitration-eligible players, but they still have some room to work with even after they spend the approximate $21 million. It's possible they look to add a starting pitcher or corner infielder with the remaining dollars.
Houston signed shortstop Jed Lowrie as well as relievers Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek this offseason, which added $20.5 to their payroll for 2015. Add in the additional $21 million for arbitration salaries and the team is only at about $66 million, according to Baseball Reference. Their rotation is lacking an ace, but it's not very likely they chase the remaining available ones in Max Scherzer and James Shields (unless Shields' price has drastically decreased, which could be possible because the Arizona Diamondbacks are in the mix for the right-hander).
So who's on the market for the Astros to sign as their potential No. 5 starter?
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal recommends Ryan Vogelsong or Kyle Kendrick. The 37-year-old Vogelsong likely won't return to the San Francisco Giants and he's been garnering interest from the Colorado Rockies as of late. After being out of the MLB from 2007-2010, the right-hander returned to the Giants in 2011 and compiled a 39-35 record with a 3.74 ERA in 112 games (111 starts). He also owns a 3-0 record with a 2.92 ERA in eight postseason games (seven starts) with San Francisco.
As for Kendrick, the 30-year-old right-hander has spent the duration of his eight-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies. He sports a 74-68 record with a 4.42 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 226 games (185 starts). He's struggled over the past two seasons, going 20-26 with a 4.65 ERA, but that was on a spiraling Phillies' team that is now looking to rebuild after back-to-back 73-89 seasons. The veteran could witness a bounce back year in 2015 on a solid Astros staff that should improve on their 19th ranked ERA (3.82) from last season.
The 26-year-old Brad Peacock is currently listed as the No. 5 starter on the depth chart, but he's struggled during his time in Houston, posting an 11-15 record with a 4.68 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 49 games (40 starts). It's possible the team is exploring all options to completely balance out their rotation before spring training.
However, let's not forget about starters Brandon Beachy and Chad Billingsley, who are both weighing "multiple offers" after a number of (unknown) clubs expressed interest in them. The Astros could have been one of those teams, so we'll see once these starters make a decision. Last week, we also entertained the idea of Houston signing Max Scherzer to lead their starting rotation, which was something Anthony Castrovince of Sports on Earth first suggested. Sure, it's unlikely, but they have the room for such a large contract and need an ace. Wouldn't that be something?
*Just to clarify, we merely mentioned a corner infielder as a potential option because Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that, but there is simply nobody on the free agent market that Houston would even consider spending money on.
