MLB trade rumors: How high are Astros aiming on trade market?
A massive lead in the AL West gives the Astros the advantage of playing almost exclusively for the postseason. Fangraphs currently gives the Astros a 100 percent chance to win their division, while FiveThirtyEight gives them a 99 percent chance to make the playoffs.
This puts Houston in an ideal situation. With Dallas Keuchel returning Friday, the Astros can pick and choose who they go after — or not — on the pitching market before this year's trade deadline.
"I think if we are going to acquire a starting pitcher, that person is going to have to be a clear upgrade to the group [we have], and that's a very small list of pitchers, GM Jeff Luhnow said in an interview with ESPN. "To a certain extent, that makes things a little bit easier. Right now, the rotation is healthy. Whoever we get, we're not acquiring them to help us win the division. We're acquiring them to help us in the postseason. It's a very advantageous position to be able to focus on that exclusively. That's what we're doing.
Who might be attractive? One name that pops up immediately is Rangers ace Yu Darvish, at least among starters that are publicly being shopped.
Darvish has a limited no-trade clause, but the Astros aren't on his list of teams. The only question is if the Rangers would trade him to an in-state rival. Or if the Astros would give up a Kyle Tucker or a Forrest Whitley to a team they have to face 17 times a year for a rental of two months in Darvish.
For what it's worth, Rangers GM Jon Daniels has traded with the Astros three times in his tenure with Texas.
"If the right baseball decision for the Rangers is trading [a player] in the division or in-state, I don't have a problem with that," Daniels said in an interview Wednesday with ESPN .
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MLB trade rumors: Astros take prospects out of games, many jump to Jacob deGrom conclusion
The Mets' Jacob DeGrom could be an upgrade, but it appears New York won't trade its ace who is under team control for another couple of years. The Tigers' Justin Verlander might qualify, but he also comes with a huge contract.
The Astros don't have to do anything. If they lose in the postseason, though, they wonder if one move could have made the difference.