Justin Verlander will always be part of Astros lore. I used to wonder why people cared so much about which team a player was inducted into the Hall of Fame with; I understand now. However, winning baseball games does not leave much room for nostalgia. Joe Espada needs to give the ball to pitchers who give the Astros the best chance of winning. Therefore, the Astros must let one of their young guns start over Verlander this October.
At this point, the Astros are probably locked into the three seed this October. The most critical decision Houston needs to make before the playoffs is how to configure the pitching staff.