Houston Astros listed as surprise landing spot for left-handed ace

It will be an uphill battle for the Houston Astros to make the playoffs after a brutal start to the season that put them in a hole that would be historic to climb out of.

However, if any team can do it, it’s this group that is in the middle of a dynasty and looking to win another World Series title to bring their total to three.

That was the expectation going into the year after signing Josh Hader and keeping the most important players on this roster largely intact.

However, at 6.5 games out of first place in the AL West and 7.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, the Astros have a lot of work to do if they want to give themselves another opportunity to make a deep playoff run.

General manager Dana Brown said amid their struggles he doesn’t foresee a scenario in which they become sellers at the trade deadline. Depending on how things go before July 30, they could become surprise buyers who could put pressure on them late in the season.

If that’s the case, Houston could be a sleeper candidate to acquire Miami Marlins ace Jesus Luzardo, according to Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter.

Yes, they expect to get two starters back, Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia after the All-Star break, but they could also be without Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier for an extended period based on some recent news. it didn’t seem very positive.

Additionally, their young team behind Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez has been extremely shaky in their outings, although it seems like Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti could figure some things out.

Luzardo would give this team a huge boost though.

Not only has he achieved a sub-4.00 ERA in his last two seasons with the Marlins, but he is also under contract through 2026, giving them an elite arm under club control for the next two years.

This would be huge with Verlander’s retirement seemingly imminent given he is 41 years old.

It’s unclear how aggressive Brown and his front office could be at the deadline, as much depends on their record. Miami would also like a lot in return, and while the Astros have some intriguing prospects to present, this management group might not be willing to make a deal.

If Houston decides to implement something that brings in Luzardo, it’s hard to argue against that thought process because they’ll be getting a cost-controlled asset for an extended period of time who will sit at the top of their rotation.