3 trades the Astros can make after devastating injuries to starting rotation

You'd be hard-pressed to find a team that has had worse injury luck than the Houston Astros in 2024. Houston, a team many expected to be in the hunt for the World Series title, enters Wednesday's action with a 28-34 record in large part due to the injuries that they have suffered.

They were already without Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia who are recovering from major injuries. Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander both missed time due to injuries. Even Ronel Blanco missed time after getting suspended. Now, to add insult to injury, both Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy are done for the season as both pitchers need major elbow surgeries.

The Astros have gotten sensational work from Ronel Blanco who wasn't even supposed to be in their rotation this season, but the same can't be said for rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, who has a 5.79 ERA in ten starts.

For Houston to make a run, they'd benefit from adding another arm to not only replace Arrighetti, but add some much-needed depth now that two key arms cannot be relied on at all this season. These three trade targets make a whole lot of sense.

3) Luis Severino can help the Astros win now

The New York Mets might be a mess, but they aren't a team completely without bright spots. They gave Luis Severino a one-year prove-it deal this past offseason and it's safe to say that it has worked in everyone's favor.

Through 11 starts, the 30-year-old has posted a 3.52 ERA in 64 innings of work. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in eight of those 11 appearances, and has completed five innings in every start. He has given his team a chance to win just about every time out, which is just about all you can ask for from a pitcher on a one-year deal.

Severino would only be a rental and does have an extensive injury history, so those would be reasons for Houston to pass on the opportunity to get him, but he also wouldn't cost a ton to acquire, has experience pitching in big games, and could always come big against his old team, the New York Yankees. He'd be a nice addition to this rotation to help Houston get back to the postseason.

These teams pulled off the Verlander deal at the 2023 trade deadline. Perhaps we'll see them come together again.

2) Erick Fedde is a strong under-the-radar trade target for the Astros to pursue

Erick Fedde has come out of nowhere to be one of the few bright spots for a miserable Chicago White Sox team. The right-hander has a 3.12 ERA in 12 starts and 69.1 innings of work, allowing two runs or fewer in eight starts. He has even held the opposition off the board entirely in four of his starts, so one-third of the time.

While he's nowhere near as proven at the MLB level as Severino, there are a couple of reasons why Houston might prioritize a deal for him.

First, he's durable. He might've struggled at the MLB level before playing in the KBO but he made 27 starts in each of his last two MLB seasons, made 30 starts last year, and has not missed a start in 2024 thus far. Second, and perhaps most importantly, his contract is a dream. Fedde is making just $7.5 million this season and is under team control next season for another $7.5 million. This would mean Houston would have to part with more to get him, but it might be worth their while.

1) Jesus Luzardo is a dream trade target for the Astros

Jesus Luzardo is going to be one of, if not the best starting pitcher available on the trade market at the deadline, and is a pitcher Houston should absolutely pursue. Yes, his 5.30 ERA is ugly, but that is heavily inflated by two brutal starts against the Yankees and Rays. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of his ten starts this season, which is more of an accurate representation of the kind of pitcher Luzardo is.

The southpaw pitched like an All-Star last season, posting a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts, and while he hasn't backed that up this season, the talent is there. A change of scenery away from the dumpster fire that is the Miami Marlins can help him revert back to form, if not unlock an even better version of his 2023 self.

What makes Luzardo a dream candidate is the team control. The 26-year-old is under team control through the 2026 campaign, giving Houston two full seasons after this one in which they'd be guaranteed to have Luzardo. With uncertainty regarding the future of just about every starter in this rotation past 2025, it'd be nice for Houston to have a building block like Luzardo that they know will be there.

Whether Houston has the assets necessary to get a deal like this done remains to be seen, but no prospect, including their No. 1 prospect Jacob Melton, should be off the table.