3 Astros trades that would break the internet if they happened

Houston Astros fans are in a weird spot this October. The team's September collapse has forced the fanbase to overanalyze everything, including the significance of the Astros' first offseason signing, former first-round pick Nate Pearson. As the World Series plays out between the Blue Jays and the Dodgers, the Astros fans are waiting for the offseason to begin in earnest.

It's an odd situation that the Astros find themselves in, considering they don't have the financial flexibility to make a major splash in free agency. The Astros also don't have the prospect capital to make significant strides in the trade market. Creativity will be at the center of everything Dana Brown does this winter.

Astros could shock the league with these wild trade possibilities

Now, let's be clear, with these trade ideas, they almost certainly won't happen. After all, one cannot really expect to break the internet. But if the Astros were to provide a jolt for the fanbase, these moments would get everyone talking.

Tarik Skubal - Detroit Tigers SP

It seems that Tarik Skubal is going to be the white whale of the offseason. Conventional wisdom would suggest it's outrageous to suggest the Detroit Tigers would trade Skubal after he was largely the reason why they spent most of the summer as the best team in baseball. However, with a reported $250MM gap in contract talks and Skubal set to become a free agent next offseason, a trade suddenly looks very probable.

The Astros don't have the prospect capital to pull off such a deal, and even if they did, they likely wouldn't do so for a player set to become a free agent a year from now. That said, Skubal at the top of the Astros' rotation would feed families in Houston.

Freddy Peralta - Milwaukee Brewers SP

Similar to the Detroit Tigers, it would seem that the Milwaukee Brewers are strongly considering moving their ace this winter. Peralta has an $8MM club option for 2026 but is a free agent next winter. The Brewers will pick up the option, but as they did with Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams, a trade of free-agent-to-be Peralta could be the next domino that drops.

As with Skubal, the real reason that the Astros won't be involved in the bidding is the fact that Peralta is a free agent after 2026, and Houston doesn't have the capital. That said, a rotation that features Peralta and Hunter Brown at the top could lead the Astros back to the playoffs.

Bryce Harper - Philadelphia Phillies 1B

Things appear to be getting awkward between Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies. Harper is in the middle of a 13-year deal with the Phillies, and had a very good 2025 season, but it wasn't quite the superstar season one has come to expect from Harper. That led to some pretty pointed criticism of Harper from his boss, Dave Dombrowski. Dombrowski has since downplayed the idea that Harper will be traded, but the relationship seems to need some major work.

Without question, this is a shock-factor trade. Even if the relationship between the Phillies and Harper can't be repaired, there are still many hurdles that would prevent a trade. Having said that, a polarizing superstar like Harper going to one of baseball's most polarizing teams would shake the industry to its core.