Astros Star Voted As 'Biggest Name' Who Could Be Traded; Should Yankees Pursue?

Could the Yankees actually trade for the Astros' ace ahead of the trade deadline?

May 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees likely will find themselves in plenty of trade rumors before the deadline passes in July.

New York is one of the best teams in baseball and has a real chance to compete for a World Series title this season. The Yankees don't even necessarily need to make any major additions to do so, but adding around the trade deadline couldn't hurt.

The Yankees' starting rotation has surprised some people this season -- even without Gerrit Cole -- but it likely is the club's biggest weakness. There are sure to be some intriguing hurlers available around the trade deadline and one player who has been mentioned is Houston Astros star Framber Valdez.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand surveyed league executives to find who the "biggest name" player will be to get traded this season and Valdez was voted as one of the possible options.

If Valdez were to get traded, the Yankees could make a lot of sense as a possible landing spot. He has been mentioned as a possible option for New York before and it isn't hard to see why. He has been an All-Star in each of the last two seasons and very well could be again this year.

He has a career 3.41 ERA in seven seasons and is considered one of the top pitchers in the American League. Pairing him with Cole would give the Yankees a deadly duo down the stretch and into the postseason.

New York already is considered one of the favorites to win the 2024 World Series and landing someone like Valdez would significantly boost the odds.

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