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HOUSTON -- The addition of Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai to the Astros’ rotation was likely the final move of Houston’s goal of bolstering its pitching staff this offseason. The club will probably lose workhorse lefty Framber Valdez in free agency, but it has added three starting pitchers this winter and built some quality depth.
The rotation will be anchored by Hunter Brown, Imai, Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti, with newcomers Ryan Weiss and Mike Burrows and veteran Lance McCullers Jr. ready to fill spots. Jason Alexander, AJ Blubaugh, Colton Gordon, Nate Pearson and J.P. France are also in the picture, though Blubaugh and Pearson could wind up in the bullpen. Houston used 15 starting pitchers last season.
The bottom line is that the Astros have options to protect themselves against the number of injuries that ravaged the rotation last season, and Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski should return from Tommy John surgery in the second half.
“I am really excited,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’re in a really good spot right now. I think these are guys that can potentially go deep into games, so it takes some pressure off our bullpen. Imai has been able to show that in the past. … It’s really exciting right now.”
The Astros will likely open the season with a six-man rotation, something they’ve implemented on and off the last couple of years. And now, they have the depth to feel better about doing it. Houston plays 26 games in 28 days to begin the regular season, including a 10-game road trip out west.
“In April, we have a ton of games early,” Espada said. “We go to Colorado and the colder temperatures. … There’s a lot of factors we take into consideration, so yes, you’ll see that six-man rotation more often this season. You’ll probably see it from the get-go.”
The strategy will also help ease Imai’s transition into a Major League rotation. Pitchers generally throw once a week in Japan and have high-volume bullpens between starts, so taking the ball every sixth day should prove a bit easier than pitching every fifth day in a standard five-man rotation.
“I’m really fascinated to see how he’s going to prepare and, for me, help him make those adjustments from Japan to the United States,” Espada said. “He did show some capability going deep in games and throwing complete games and throwing a ton of pitches, but he did have a lot of days to recover from them. We’re going to make it out and make sure we put him in the best position for success.”
Espada has already met with pitching coach Josh Miller, who attended Monday’s press conference, about Imai’s Spring Training schedule. Imai doesn’t plan to pitch in the World Baseball Classic, meaning the Astros will have him in Florida for the entire spring.
“Obviously, he’s going to need some time in between [starts] to recover and bounce back,” Espada said. “Those are things we are going to make sure, not only him, but the rest of our rotation, are in a position that they can recover, and we can have them healthy throughout the season.”