Whitley not untouchable with Click as GM

SAN DIEGO — Jeff Luhnow twice proclaimed Forrest Whitley untouchable — once in November 2018 and again after the blockbuster deal for Zack Greinke. The former Astros general manager executed deals for Greinke, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander without parting from his top pitching prospect, one who now will endure a third consecutive lost season.

As another trade deadline approaches, with a different regime in power, questions again surround Whitley, Houston’s enigmatic top prospect. He remains part of the team’s 60-man player pool and, therefore, is eligible to be traded Aug. 31.

Whitley’s current injury status and poor past performance don’t make him an attractive candidate in the short term. Still, he remains the best prospect in an otherwise gutted Astros farm system. He is the only Houston farmhand in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects.

Whether James Click shares Luhnow’s affinity for Whitley is still a mystery. Asked on Friday if Whitley was untouchable, Click was diplomatic.

“It’s difficult to say right now just based on what he’s going through,” Click said. “I think we’ve seen some flashes of the promise of Forrest Whitley in spring training 2.0, in particular.

“I don’t think we’d be doing our job if we just took assets off the table and just said that they are untouchable, but obviously there are going to be some players that are just going to be much more difficult to move than other ones.”

Whitley posted a 12.21 ERA in Class AAA last season and was shipped to West Palm Beach, Fla., for what Luhnow termed a “season reset.” In February, Whitley reported to spring training “not physically ready to compete” for a job in the major league rotation, according to pitching coach Brent Strom. Whitley demonstrated moments of promise during summer camp, to which he reported in far better shape

Click said on Friday that Whitley remains shut down with a forearm strain. The righthander has “responded well to treatment,” Click said, but he gave no timeline for when Whitley may again pick up a baseball.