Cole relied heavily on his fastball in 2017 with Pittsburgh, but the Astros feel he can benefit from throwing more offspeed stuff, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Manager A.J. Hinch stressed there won't be an overhaul, but rather a "tweak" in pitch usage for Cole, who surrendered a career-high 31 home runs in 2017 -- 18 off his fastball. Hinch feels the key is to get a good game plan in front of Cole, which could mean fewer fastballs in favor of his slider and changeup.