Houston Astros Urged to Pull Off Blockbuster Trade for Starting Pitcher

The Houston Astros could consider making a huge move ahead of the upcoming MLB trade deadline.

Max Scherzer, Texas Rangers / Rob Schumacher / USA TODAY NETWORK

Looking ahead to the 2024 MLB trade deadline, the Houston Astros are one of the teams that everyone is waiting to see what will happen.

Will the Astros trade off some of their talent, or will they stick with it and try to add pieces themselves?

No one knows what direction Houston will end up heading. If they opt to sell talent, there is a lot of star potential that could be on the move.

Among the potential names that have come up in trade speculation are Justin Verlander, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker. All three players are legitimate stars who will make a massive impact for whoever would end up acquiring them.

Verlander seems like the most likely option who the Astros would be willing to part with.

Getting rid of his contract would be a wise move and he's also 41 years old. If Houston doesn't think they can win now, there is no point to keeping him around.

With that being said, the Astros could also opt to buy at the trade deadline if they think they can get back into contention. If they do so, a big need is finding another starting pitcher with all of the injury issues they have run into.

One trade idea has been tossed around that would involve acquire a longtime star.

Zach Pressnell of FanSided suggested the massive trade.

He has the Astros acquiring Max Scherzer from the Texas Rangers and sending Jose Fleury back in return.

"As for the Astros, they can handle eating the rest of Scherzer's contract if it means they can help turn this nightmare of a season around. They're already desperate for pitching following the plethora of injuries to their starters. The Astros will be aggressive in the starting pitching market, so how fun would it be to see them try to acquire Max Scherzer from their division rival?"

Making a move for Scherzer would reunite him with Verlander. It would be an old, but star-studded pairing in the rotation.

Granted, making a trade within a division is never an easy task, however, the Rangers would likely be interested in getting out from under Scherzer's contract, and acquiring Fleury would give them a key pitcher for the future as well.

Scherzer has not pitched a single game this season after undergoing back surgery in the offseason. He was moved to the 60-day injured list on May 15 but has started throwing bullpen sessions with an eye towards a rehab assignment coming soon.

Would the two sides actually come together to pull this trade off?

That is the biggest hurdle as it's hard to imagine Texas would have any interest in helping the out Astros.

All of that being said, if the Rangers choose to sell and they're looking to move Scherzer's contract and get a good piece in return, this deal with Houston makes sense.

It's a long shot, but it's a very intriguing thought.