Can Houston Astros Ace End Up With Yankees?

The Houston Astros top pitcher is viewed as a real option for the New York Yankees.

Apr 16, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez (59) walks on the field / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The brutal 8-19 start from the Houston Astros could lead to massive changes by the front office. Frankly, it's been as bad of a season as possible for the Astros and unless things change quickly, those changes might be a necessity.

Given the team isn't even 30 games into their season, it's also fair to not press the panic button yet. After running baseball for much of the past decade, the safe thing to say is that Houston will figure it out. Factor in all of the injuries they've dealt with and the struggles are warranted.

However, if things don't change for the team by July, it could be the end of some of this core. Notably, Alex Bregman, Framber Valdez, and other key pieces will hit free agency within the next two years.

Due to the struggles, is there a chance the Astros trade Valdez, who's been arguably their best pitcher over the past few seasons, to the New York Yankees?

Adam Weinrib of YanksGoYard listed options for the Yankees to pursue as Jesus Luzardo is dealing with an elbow injury. The left-handed Peru native was viewed as one of the top options on the market before dealing with this injury.

In his list, Weinrib had Valdez as an option.

While it seems unlikely that Houston and New York would ever get a deal done, anything is possible. At the end of the day, if the Astros were going to trade any of their top players, getting the biggest return possible is what they need to focus on. If the Yankees front office is willing to move any of their top prospects, it's something they should think about.

Valdez, who will return on Sunday, pitched in two games before hitting the injury list with elbow inflammation.

He threw in 12 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out 10.