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2 Astros trade rumors we hope are true, 1 we hope doesn't happen
Let's take a look at the best and worst trade rumors surrounding the Houston Astros ahead of the trade deadline.
The trade deadline is coming up fast and with that comes a whole lot of speculation as to what the Houston Astros are going to do. While the Astros are in a strong position right now given that they are just one game back of the Rangers and currently locked into a wild card spot, Texas as well as the Angels are pulling out all of the stops at the deadline this year.
Given what we are seeing, the AL West is setting up to be an absolute bloodbath in the second half with three legitimately very good teams duking it out until the end. Houston's roster has a lot going for it and Dana Brown already beefed up the bullpen by landing Kendall Graveman in a trade a couple days ago, but they could really use another starter, a bat of some sort, and more bullpen depth is always good.
Here are 2 Astros trade rumors we hope come true and 1 we hope isn't true at all
Coming from an Atlanta Braves front office that is notorious for playing things close to the vest, Dana Brown knows the value of keeping his specific plans tight-lipped and the information that comes out controlled. Brown has talked in generalities at length, sure, but there haven't been a ton of specific rumors linking them to players over the last month or so.
However, a few snippets have come out here and there. Some of them are almost certainly nonsense that aren't based on actual reporting, but others seem to have kernels of truth to them and are worth delving into a bit.
Let's take a look at two Astros rumors that we hope will come true and one we definitely hope doesn't.
Justin Verlander could make the trade deadline for the Astros
Every fan loves a reunion with a former player especially when the player is the caliber of Justin Verlander. Houston fans are well acquainted with what Verlander can do on the mound as he won a pair of Cy Young awards during his time with Houston while posting a 2.33 ERA from 2018 to 2022.
It was a decidedly big blow when Verlander decided to leave Houston to sign with the Mets. However, with the Mets forgetting how to play baseball in 2023, Houston does seem to have an opportunity to bring Verlander back into the fold and there has been some noise that Houston wouldn't mind a reunion with JV at the deadline even if the current price tag for him is giving everyone heartburn.
While the 2023 season did not get off to the best start for Verlander with the Mets as he dealt with an injury and then struggled upon returning, he has looked more like his usual dominant self the last couple of months. There just isn't a starting pitcher on the trade market right now that comes remotely close to the upside that Verlander could provide and the Astros know him as well as anybody.
There are some problems with a potential Verlander deal. First is that he is owed a boatload of money over the next couple of years. His over $43 million per season for 2023 and 2024 is much higher than the Astros would be happy about paying and significantly more than they paid Verlander during his time in Houston. There is also the question of his no-trade clause, but it is doubtful that Verlander would veto a move to Houston given his history with the team.
Another issue is that it sounds like the Mets are putting a high price tag on Verlander given the potential two additional years of team control attached to him. Dana Brown already doesn't sound like a guy that loves the prices on the trade market right now (more on that in a second), so he probably really isn't likely what the Mets are asking for Verlander.
The Astros sitting out the starting pitching market would be a big mistake
This is a more of a nebulous Astros rumor than you would expect, but it is still critically important to talk about. There is no denying that this is a seller's market at the trade deadline as there is a decided lack of quality players available thanks to so many teams technically being in playoff contention right now. Prices are high and it is going to be tough to make the upgrades a team wants to make.
However, Dana Brown took it a step further yesterday when he suggested that the dynamics of this trade market are so rough that the Astros are no longer in the market for a starting pitcher($). While Brown's frustrations regarding current supply and demand and their impacts on price tags are understandable, the Astros simply can't afford to not add a rotation arm.
With all of the injuries the Astros have endured in their rotation this season, Houston's rotation depth has been sorely tested and they don't have a ton of help coming soon in the minor leagues on the mound. Houston has made it work with Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown leading the charge, but they have no margin for error/injury in the second half even if Jose Urquidy returns soon and throws well.
Houston needs to add another rotation arm even if it is just a depth guy to eat some innings every fifth day. The best guess here is that Brown was executing some gamesmanship in his comments and sending a message to other teams that he wasn't going to be bullied into paying unreasonable prices. That being said, if the deadline passes and the Astros fail to add a starter, it will be a very risky play and a missed opportunity.
Josh Hader would give the Astros a crazy strong bullpen for the home stretch
Back to the fun side of the rumor mill, the San Diego Padres remain the trade deadline's biggest wild card. Despite everything they have invested into that star-studded roster of theirs, the Padres find themselves below .500 and eight games out of the division lead and five games out of a playoff spot. Assuming that they decide to sell off at least some players, one player that could be a nice addition who has also been at least partially connected to Houston is Josh Hader.
Ideally, the Astros could put together a deal for both Blake Snell and Hader as they are both pending free agents and that could solve two of Houston's issues with one move, but let's focus on Hader since that is the actual connection that has been mention by Buster Olney and others.
Hader is one of the best relievers in MLB right now and if he were to be made available by San Diego, it would immediately upend the relief market at the trade deadline. He certainly wouldn't be cheap to acquire in a trade given how good he is, but he would be a rental reliever making real money at $14 million in 2023 which should mitigate the pain of such a move.
If the Astros aren't going to trade for a starter, the next best option is to have a deep, shut down bullpen and adding Hader to the previous acquisition of Kendall Graveman would be a strong step in the right direction there. The biggest question is whether or not the Padres will play ball and actually sell. Their record is what it is, but they have played better than their record and while the division race seems unlikely for them even if they start playing well again, a run at a wild card spot isn't impossible.
Nevertheless, it would be funny if one of the worst trades (by outcome) in Astros history came full circle and Hader ended up with the Astros after all.
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