The Houston Astros are looking to bolster their starting rotation ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, and are heavily scouting non-contenders to find the right target.
One of those targets is Detroit Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd. According to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, the Astros have been heavily scouting Boyd in recent starts.
The Astros have been one of the teams scouting Boyd hard https://t.co/VelP4YV1kx
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) July 5, 2019
Boyd’s appeal is obvious. He has struck out 142 batters in just 107 innings, only walking 20, and his 7.10 strikeouts to walks ratio leads the American League. He can be homer prone, however, as evidenced by a slightly inflated 3.87 ERA.
Boyd is under the Tigers’ control through 2022, and the asking price is said to be high. Whether the Astros are willing to part with the required assets remains unclear, but they’re keeping an eye out.
