Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Astros will “surely attempt” to trade pitcher Mike Fiers ahead of Friday’s 8 PM ET non-tender deadline.
Fiers, 32, is eligible for arbitration for the second of three years. MLB Trade Rumors projects him to earn a $5.7 million salary.
Fiers is coming off of a disappointing season despite getting a World Series ring. He finished the regular season with an 8-10 record, a 5.22 ERA, and a 146/62 K/BB ratio across 153 1/3 innings. The right-hander is obviously the weakest link in the Astros’ rotation. That they will attempt to trade him before presumably non-tendering him comes as no surprise.