Two Potential Trade Landing Spots for Houston Astros Ace

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander is expected to start again on Sunday. This will be his fifth start of the season after starting the year on the injured list with a shoulder issue.

The 41-year-old hasn’t been as lively as fans are used to. He is 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA in four starts, with 15 strikeouts and 10 walks in 22.1 innings.

But, with two World Series titles, three Cy Youngs and nine All-Star Game appearances under his belt, Verlander knows how to navigate the inevitable valleys that come with healing from an injury.

Verlander is signed this season and has a vesting option for 2025, depending on whether Verlander pitches 140 innings this season.

But there are some things out of his control, including the Astros’ position in the American League.

The Astros are 13-24 heading into this weekend’s series in Detroit. Only the Chicago White Sox have fewer wins in the AL. Houston looks up to everyone in the AL West and is eight games behind the lead Texas Rangers.

It’s not over, but there’s a chance the Astros could claw their way out of the playoffs for the first time since 2016. If they do so before the trade deadline, the Astros will have some tough decisions to take.

Verlander could be their most valuable trade asset and it won’t hurt their long-term ability to put a contender on the field beyond this season.

So who would be interested? Well, Verlander has a total no-trade clause. So any team could be interested, but there may only be a few teams that would be interested.

Who could these teams be?

New York Post insider Jon Heyman wrote an article with a list of top stars who could, at some point, be traded this season, depending on various factors. For Verlander, he wrote that “…one supposes he might accept Los Angeles or (near his hometown) Baltimore.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a constellation of stars, so why not add one more? Additionally, they can handle the remaining salary for 2024, as well as his $35 million vesting option next season.

As for the Baltimore Orioles, Verlander is originally from Manakin Sabot, Virginia, and went to college at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia.

Only time will tell if the Astros should act and if Verlander is a buyer.