An unthinkable Astros-Dodgers trade to send Justin Verlander to a winner

Justin Verlander has been one of baseball's best talented since his debut back in 2005. Just two seasons ago, he took home the AL Cy Young award after posting a career best 1.75 ERA in 175 innings.

But the Astros are off to one of their worst starts in recent memory, sitting at 15-25 nearly 25 percent of the way through the season. This kind of struggle could be exactly what might cause Houston to deal their 41-year-old ace, unloading his massive contract to a contender.

But what franchise has the room to take on this huge contract, the prospect capital to make the deal and the guts to go out and trade for this kind of aging superstar? There's really only one team that fits that bill to a tee.

The Dodgers could swoop in and take Justin Verlander off the struggling Astros' hands

And the answer to the question will make the rest of the baseball world sick to their stomachs. Of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the perfect team to make this kind of deal. It almost makes too much sense to not discuss.

Verlander is having another good season. While the Dodgers aren't starved for pitching, they could obviously use a veteran ace with as much postseason experience as almost anybody in the league.

But the question remains: What would Los Angeles have to part with in order to acquire Verlander?

The simple answer is a lot less than you would imagine. In all likelihood, the Dodgers will eat up a good chunk of his contract, much thanks to Shohei Ohtani's deferral in his contract. With that idea on the table, the Dodgers could part ways with two prospects like Payton Martin and Trey Sweeney.

Los Angeles has always been a franchise centered around reloading, not rebuilding. Acquiring Verlander and losing two of their top 30 prospects wouldn't be any unchartered territory for the franchise. If Verlander can be even a fraction of the player that he was two years ago, the Dodgers will take this deal in a heartbeat.

The question then is whether or not the Astros would want to do this kind of business with a rival, making the rich even richer. In all likelihood, they would, if that's the best offer they get. Verlander also has a bit of leverage with the team he could be dealt to due to his no trade clause.