The Houston Astros lead the majors with 50 wins this year and already have a 12.5 game lead in the American League West, but they currently have their two best starters in Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers on the disabled list.
McCullers is likely to return this weekend while Keuchel is still a few weeks away while fellow starters Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh are also currently on the DL.
Even when the Astros rotation is completely healthy, they are lacking a good option to start the third game of a potential postseason series.
According to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, the Astros are aiming high in their search for a starter and would “love to add Mets ace Jacob deGrom.”
The Mets are currently 31-41 and 12 games back of a playoff spot.
GM Sandy Alderson should find himself shifting gears into becoming a seller as the trade deadline nears next month, but to what extent?
The 29-year-old deGrom is under Mets team control for three more seasons after 2017 and as Verducci points out the Mets have made no indication they plan on trading their most reliable starter.
Jacob has gone 6-3 with a 3.94 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a career high 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings this season.
Trading deGrom would certainly be a risky move for a team that has struggled to find reliable starting pitching in 2017 and likely in the foreseeable future.
However, he is also one of the most valuable trade chips the Mets have and could possibly fill multiple holes at the big league level if they were able to find a suitable package for him.
The Astros are certainly one of the teams that may be able to fit as a trade partner for the Mets given that Baseball America ranked their farm system as the third best coming into the 2017 season.
One name that should intrigue Mets fans is Astros center field prospect Kyle Tucker given the Mets short-term and long-term need at the position. Baseball America has Tucker, the 15th overall pick in 2015, ranked as the 15th best prospect in baseball.
Tucker is already playing at Double-A as a 20-year-old and is slashing .255/.300/.511 with four stolen bases in 22 games. The left-handed hitter tore up the Carolina League earlier this year with a .932 OPS before his promotion.
On the pitching front, the Astros have right-hander Francis Martes who is ranked as the 19th best prospect by BA. The hard thrower has a plus curveball and has already made his major league debut at just 21-years old.
Outfielder Derek Fisher and right-handed pitcher David Paulino are two of the Astros other top 5 prospects that would certainly come up in trade talks for any ace level pitcher.
The Mets would also likely want major league ready talent in return for deGrom with significant holes next year in catcher, third base and a true center fielder. Making third baseman/shortstop Alex Bregman one of the first names that would come to mind that regard.
