Why Astros poaching Yankees pitching guru could actually benefit their offseason plan

On Tuesday afternoon, the Yankees lost a big piece of their pitching infrastructure when Spencer Medick leapt to the Houston Astros. And while it obviously is never great to lose a keen mind to a promotion, especially with a recent hated rival, might Medick's departure to Houston help tear down the wall between the two franchises and end their cold war?

The Astros have a significant logjam to handle this offseason in their infield, with talent getting squeezed in all directions. Maybe Jeremy Peña will exit stage right ahead of his Scott Boras payday. Maybe it'll be third baseman Isaac Paredes who departs after spending a season taking aim at the Crawford Boxes. Maybe both and beyond, as the Astros pursue a total rebuild, guided by the deft hand of their GM ... uh, some guy, TBD.

Houston has been hesitant to deal with the Yankees in the past (or, at least, nothing of substance between the two warring factions has ever materialized, and the supposed aversion was brought up plenty during the Kyle Tucker trade talks).

But now they've got Medick, a Matt Blake disciple and the Yankees' Triple-A pitching coach from this past season, on their side. He knows the ins and outs of the Yankees' system. He's got personal preferences of pitchers he'd love to continue working with and believes he can maximize. He's stealing knowledge from the building. Maybe the Astros, feeling like the villains in this scenario with inside info to work with, will feel comfortable trading with New York if they no longer believe they'll be helping (or, concurrently, if they believe that aid is being canceled out by thievery)?

Yankees pitchers who could follow Spencer Medick to Houston with Astros

This inside information would likely help with secondary pieces rather than primaries. Everyone knows the jewels of the Yankees' farm system, but who lies underneath the surface?

Edge-of-breakout names like Rory Fox, who rose to Double-A Somerset last summer, and Thatcher Hurd/Bryce Cunningham stand out from the middle of the pack, and Medick undoubtedly has his preferences. What about the one pitcher who dominated Triple-A under his tutelage last summer, but couldn't hack it in the majors every time he was called upon: Brendan Beck?

Beck posted a 9.95 ERA in four big-league games, but a remarkable 10-2 record with a 2.93 ERA and 151 Ks in 135 1/3 innings in a bounce-back Triple-A campaign. He was accruing whiffs, not just tossing slop. Maybe he ends up being a true tweener, but maybe there's something that wasn't clicking every time he was elevated. Nobody knows the answer better than Medick, and if the Yankees are serious about pursuing Paredes/Peña (and they should be), perhaps this could help get a deal across the finish line with some loaded secondary pieces.

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