Could the Houston Astros pursue an ace made available by the Toronto Blue Jays?

The Houston Astros have pulled off the best turnaround in baseball this season.

After sitting in last place in the AL West earlier in the year and looking like potential candidates for sale, they’ve now fought their way back into first place and are playing like a team that dominated the American League during their dynastic run.

This implies that they could become buyers and enrich this list.

General manager Dana Brown doesn’t have much to add, but one thing the Astros certainly need is another starting pitcher, even though Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. are expected to return at some point this season.

It’s unclear who they’ll go after, but after Cristian Javier, Jose Urquidy and JP France all underwent surgeries to end their years, they’ll likely target someone who isn’t a rental player and will be in the mix next season.

If that is indeed the case, then Houston might have an eye on what the Toronto Blue Jays do before the deadline.

Many around the league expect them to become sellers, with USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale reporting that they “could consider” offers for starting pitchers Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman.

Either player would provide exactly what the Astros are looking for in this push toward the playoffs.

Gausman was an All-Star in 2023, so his inflated 4.50 ERA after 19 starts this year could be overlooked by Houston, which needs a veteran arm to throw big innings for them. Bassitt was the best pitcher this season with a 3.71 ERA, which also makes him a prime acquisition target.

It’s not yet clear what it would take to acquire either of these veterans.

It’s also possible that the Blue Jays decide not to sell their pieces despite their disappointing results so far in 2024.

Nightengale added that they would be doing “a lot of selling at the deadline,” but also said they “wanted to keep the team together one more year.”

This was specifically mentioned regarding the possibility of moving Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., so there’s still a chance Toronto will see what they can get in return for their two starting pitchers.

At the very least, Houston should ask itself what it would take to get Bassitt or Gausman, as either would fit into their rotation and give them another weapon they desperately need.