Houston Astros’ blockbuster draft makes AL Cy Young trade favorite

The Houston Astros need help before the MLB trade deadline, and a proposed deal would allow them to become one of the league’s best.

FanSided’s Zach Pressnell has assembled a set of prospects that would bring Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal to town.

The Astros would send outfielder Jacob Melton, shortstop Brice Matthews, right-handed pitcher Jose Fleury and outfielder Colin Barber.

There’s not much to say about Skubal other than the fact that he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball right now. He sports a sub-3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with double-digit strikeouts per nine for a second straight season.

He is currently the favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award, which would be his first.

If the Tigers don’t plan to pay the lefty when they lose control after the 2026 season, it would make sense to trade him now for a large number of prospects. This is the type of package that might at least make them think about moving their ace.

Melton is Houston’s No. 1 farm prospect and their only Top 100 player in the draft. He has a combination of speed and power that would appeal to almost any general manager in the league.

Last season, he hit 23 home runs and had 46 sacks in High-A and Double-A. His numbers are down a bit this year, but he’s still down .250/.315/.426.

Matthews was the Astros’ first-round pick last year and has torn up the minor leagues at the plate this season with a .333/.444/.559 slash line, six home runs and 16 stolen bases. He’s another guy who demonstrates both power and speed. His final year of college was a 20-20 season with a 1.204 OPS.

At just 22 years old, he could be a highly coveted prospect even if he doesn’t make the Top 100.

Fleury is the eighth overall prospect in Houston’s pipeline and the second-highest ranked pitcher on their farm. He is a high-level player who could become a mid-rotation starter in the future if he can improve his break point. He’s not overpowering with speed, but has good movement on his fastball.

Barber doesn’t have the same prospect level as those other guys, but he’s still ranked in their top 20. He profiles as a solid rotational corner outfielder.

This would be the type of trade that would be worth emptying the farm for the Astros.

Not only would they get one of the best weapons in the league, but they would also get years of club control, which is something they desperately need moving forward with so many big contracts on their books.