Astros checking in on Giants’ Samardzija

Jeff Samardzija of the Giants is in the second year of a five-year, $90 million deal with the Giants, so he’d be a long-term investment for Houston.

That’s not impressive to be sure, but the Astros may be seeing the big jump in terms of command and control (Samardzija this season leads the majors with a

K/BB ratio of 9.07) in addition to the impressive stuff that he’s always had.

Also, given that Samardzija is owed so much money, the Astros would likely be able to acquire him without parting with too much in the way of long-term assets.