Could Houston Astros Acquire Ace Pitcher From Archrival at MLB Trade Deadline?

The Houston Astros have been hit with a ridiculous barrage of injuries to their starting pitchers.

Between Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Spencer Arrighetti, Ronel Blanco, J.P. France and Hayden Wesneski, the Astros have an entire viable Major League starting rotation plus one extra good arm on the injured list.

Despite this, Houston ranks eighth in MLB with a starting pitcher ERA of 3.61. That's thanks largely to the herculean efforts of co-aces Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez, as well as contributions from Lance McCullers Jr. and spot start efforts from Brandon Walter.

Still, with so many hurlers sidelined and an increasingly red-hot team, the pressure is mounting for general manager Dana Brown to add a starter to make this team a legitimate World Series contender.

The Houston Astros Should Trade for Rangers RHP Tyler Mahle

No team in the league would be excited about a playoff series in which they would have to face Valdez and Brown, but if a third pitcher performing at an elite level were to join the mix? The Astros wuold be a nightmare.

Enter the possibility of acquiring Tyler Mahle from the Texas Rangers.

Mahle has been nearly as good as Brown this year, posting a 2.02 ERA across 13 starts.

Houston and the Rangers are going in opposite directions at the moment, with the Astros holding a five-and-a-half game lead on their rivals from Arlington, who have four teams between them and the final wild card spot.

Texas' path to the postseason is looking increasingly shaky, which could compel general manager Chris Young to sell at the July 31 trade deadline.

If he does, his best and most intriguing chip, at least according to MLB.com, is Tyler Mahle.

"The Rangers don’t have a very deep farm system at this point, and other than top prospect Sebastian Walcott, the hitters are looking mighty thin," analyst Kennedi Landry wrote.

Given the animosity between the two franchises, the Rangers may not be thrilled at the prospect of helping the Astros gear up for another World Series run, but maybe Brown could make it worth their while.

All three of Houston's top prospects are hitters, according to MLB Pipeline, in infielder Brice Matthews, outfielder Jacob Melton and catcher Walker Janek.

Brown might be hesitant to move Melton or Matthews for a rental, but could Janek become available to add a starter like Mahle? Could No. 4 prospect Miguel Ullola, a pitcher knocking on the door of the Big Leagues be of interest to the Rangers?

It's possible, and as the team looks more and more like a real threat to win it all, the calculus of pushing the chips in for another run while Jose Altuve is around should weigh in heavily, too.