WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- As more teams begin to follow the lead of the Tampa Bay Rays and tinker with having a reliever -- the opener -- take the ball to start games, the forward-thinking Astros are holding steadfast to the belief you ride your starters as long as you can.
Of course, it helps when you have a rotation anchored by Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, who were two of the 13 pitchers in the big leagues last year who pitched at least 200 innings. Another was former Astros teammate Dallas Keuchel, who remains a free agent.