It's no secret that the Astros are looking into the trade market with the July 31 deadline looming on the horizon. And a starting pitcher is rumored as the position most likely to be targeted. But this article isn't about Hamels, Cueto, or Kazmir. Instead, I'll start from the premise that the best strategy is to buy-low in the trade market. Buying low means targeting a pitcher whose performance this year appears to be sub-par or below his normal level. The idea is to reduce the trading cost, given the risk that the player's sub-par performance will continue after he is traded.
Identifying Buy-Low Pitchers
