Why the Houston Astros Are the Best Place for Johnny Cueto

The MLB trade deadline is right around the corner, and Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto might be the hottest pitcher on the market. So what team might have the most to offer, would immediately benefit from the transaction and could allow Cueto the chance to compete for a championship? The Houston Astros.

Yes, those Houston Astros, who lost more than 100 games for three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013. As of Wednesday night however, Houston holds a two-game lead over the Angels for first place in the AL West and is tied for the AL lead in wins with 49.

The bullpen is stronger, the starting pitching is more reliable and the batting lineup is loaded with young talent. Houston's ace, Dallas Keuchel, has 11 wins and an ERA just over 2.00, while Collin McHugh has nine wins and Lance McCuller has a 2.16 ERA in 10 games. Adding Cueto to the staff would put the Astros in the conversation for one of the best rotations in the league.

Though the Reds would have difficulty replacing an arm like Cueto's, the team can still benefit in the long-run with a trade to the right team. Cueto, in comparison, would most likely love to be traded to a contender.

First, let's look at what the Reds would be giving up. In Cueto's last start, the 29-year old hurled a two-hit complete-game shutout against Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. He struck out 11 batters and retired the last 17 out of 18. He also managed to work a few more tweaks and wiggles into his pitching delivery, which is probably the most fun to watch in today's game since the days of Hideo Nomo.

Cueto lowered his ERA to 2.61 with his first shutout of the season and is now 6-5 in 16 games and 113 innings this season. Though he's battled some arm injuries in recent seasons, he finished with a 20-9 record and a 2.25 ERA last season, while also tying for the NL lead in strikeouts (he has 113 this year).

As David Schoenfield said in an article for ESPN.com, the performance certainly helped Cueto's cause:

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With the Reds now 38-44—7 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the second wild-card spot—and Cueto a free agent at season's end, he might be the top player available at the trade deadline. He would be better than Cole Hamels and also less costly to acquire since he's just a two-month rental. Considering the 122 pitches he threw, the Reds are unlikely to start him on Sunday, especially since he's already missed one start with a sore elbow and had a recent start pushed back a few days.

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The Astros have also made it known that they're in the market for a new arm.

Houston manager A.J. Hinch told Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich:

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Obviously, there's been a lot of talk about our rotation; we've got some youth in our rotation. We've got different styles. We've certainly had performances at different times. Again, I trust our guys. I like the guys we have, and if there's an upgrade that gives us a push then we'll address it accordingly. But my job is to believe in getting the most out of the players that we have.

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In that same article, Keuchel is quoted in agreement: 

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(I'm hopeful for a trade based on) what we're doing right now and the position that we're in. Fully intend for the front office to make a move. And that's not like something that's a given; it's just that, I know that they want to win, and it's a shared interest between the players and the front office.

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Since Cueto becomes a free agent at the end of the season, the price that the Astros would have to pay for the righty would probably not break their bank—or their farm system.

Cueto's contract is $10 million this year and wouldn't be a big burden for Houston's checkbook. Next season might prove differently however. Josh Benjamin offered a possible outcome in Forbes.com that valued Cueto's next deal as equal to or greater than Scherzer's. The 30-year-old signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Nationals before the season.

But that wouldn't happen until next year, and the Astros still have decent prospects—even after calling some up to their big league squad—to make some noise this season.

Plus, losing a prospect to a trade doesn't always come back to bite the team in the long run. As Russell Carleton stated for Fox Sports, sometimes it's better for a team to take a risk for the short-term reward because of the uncertainty of a prospect's future. That, and to not listen to the fans.

"But go on any message board dedicated to a team considering acquiring Johnny Cueto and you’ll see approximately 2,139,080 posts which say 'I’d love to have Cueto, just as long as we don’t give up (list of ten prospects, including all the guys that the Reds would actually want and a couple guys who may or may not ever see a big league stadium),'" Carleton writes.

After a dismal start to the decade, it's time for the Astros to stop rebuilding and start winning, and Cueto can help make that happen in the second half of the season. Since this year's All-Star Game is in Cincinnati, the Reds might wait to decide on Cueto's future until after the All-Star break, especially if he's voted into the game. However, if and when the Reds give the green light, the Astros should make sure to be first in line.