Houston Astros Emerging As Possible Trade Suitor For AL Pitcher

As the MLB trade deadline draws closer, the Houston Astros have emerged a possible suitor for one AL pitcher.

Jun 4, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty (9) throws during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros are going to be one of the most intriguing teams to keep an eye on over the next six weeks. With the MLB trade deadline set to arrive in late July, the Astros are a team that could impact a lot of what ends up happening.

As of right now, Houston holds a 31-38 record and are still within striking distance of the playoff race. However, if they start sliding even more in the next month, a tough decision will have to be made.

Will the Astros end up being buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? That is the question that teams around the league would love to have answered.

On one hand, Houston could get aggressive and buy talent to pursue a postseason appearance. They also could opt to trade some of their talent, which would open up a lot of options for teams who are actually buyers.

Only time will tell, but for right now, it's likely that the Astros will be buyers rather than sellers.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic took a look at some potential targets that Houston could target. One of them is Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

Flaherty would be a perfect addition to help fix one of the Astros' biggest issues. After losing so many pitchers to injury this season, Houston needs help in the rotation.

Throughout the 2024 season with the Tigers, Flaherty has compiled a 3-4 record to go along with a 3.22 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a 9.4 K/BB ratio. Those numbers would be a welcome addition to the Astros' starting rotation.

At 28 years old, Flaherty will hit free agency in the upcoming offseason. He could be a half-year rental, or Houston could opt to try to retain him if things work out nicely following a potential trade.

His price tag likley won't be through the roof, which would also be important for the Astros. If they haven't pulled off a nice winning streak and worked their way closer to playoff contention, they won't want to spend big unless they're getting a star in return.

It will be interesting to see what Houston chooses to do.

The Astros truly will be one of the teams that decides what kind of trade deadline it's going to be.

Should they end up looking to buy talent, the suggestion of pursuing a trade for Flaherty would make a lot of sense and would help solve what has become a big issue.