MLB Trade Deadline 2017: 5 best spots for Justin Verlander

3. Houston Astros

The Astros may only view Verlander as a backup plan if they fail to acquire Gerrit Cole or Jose Quintana. Houston’s focus should be on the longer term rather than the two-plus years Verlander has left in his prime. In the pecking order of Astros trade targets, Verlander is a well-beaten third, but still in play.

Houston is set up perfectly to attack the trade deadline with the same intensity they hit free agency at the Winter Meetings. The front office has plenty of money to spend to take on a big contract, while the rebuild has left them with a deep farm system that has been left untouched for the most part.

Dallas Keuchel’s health leading up to the deadline will determine how aggressive the Astros have to be at the deadline. The inflamed nerve in his neck could keep him out until the All-Star break or even later. This is a difficult injury to predict, and he was not himself last year while dealing with a shoulder injury. This is the same region of the body, which could signal longer-term concerns.

Houston is clearly the class of the American League based on the length of their lineup alone, but they do need more pitching to solidify their status as the top contender in the league. One of the top-five teams in the league is going to blow the trade deadline out of the water and vault themselves to the top of the pile. The Chicago Cubs did it last year with Aroldis Chapman, just like the Kansas City Royals did in 2015 with Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist.