MLB rumors: Paul Goldschmidt trade talk, Verlander reunion a tough sell, more

Astros have a huge barrier to Justin Verlander reunion

The Houston Astros in theory could very much use Justin Verlander. They’re rumored to be interested in the starting pitcher who has languished a bit with the New York Mets this year. Even a bad Justin Verlander is quite good, though, with his ERA clocking in at 3.15 and his ERA+ above 130.

The fit makes sense, as Houston wants starting pitching and the Mets are selling. Verlander is rumored to be open to waiving his no-trade clause for a team looking to contend in the near-term, Houston fits that bill. Plus, Verlander played for the ‘Stros just before the Mets and had plenty of success — individually and team-centric — with the organization.

Though there’s the motivation to make a deal happen for the Astros and Verlander, they might simply not have the means needed to push a deal past the finish line.

Jon Heyman is reporting that, though the Astros are one of many teams expressing interest in the pitcher, their lack of control of any top-100 prospects makes a deal incredibly challenging to push through.

The Mets received a top prospect from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Max Scherzer, Luisangel Acuña, who is ranked 44 overall. The Mets likely expect an even better return for Verlander who is under team control for longer than Scherzer was.

That is thought to be even more true because the Mets seem to want to hold onto Verlander after trading Scherzer. The thinking is that the Mets would like to retool rather than rebuild completely, and Verlander or Scherzer, whomever they kept, would anchor the rotation in 2024.

The Mets surely would still trade him if the price is right, but the price may be outrageous instead of just high.