Astros choosing between two future aces if they buy at trade deadline

The Houston Astros are in one of the most peculiar situations in the entire league this year. They're in the prototypical position to become big-time sellers ahead of the trade deadline. They're seven games under .500 after nearly 70 games, as of Thursday morning.

But, they're the Astros. They dominated the 2010's. They haven't been the kind of franchise that's okay with rolling over and dying. In fact, even seven games under .500, Baseball Reference gives them nearly a 40 percent chance to make the postseason.

And we all know that if the Astros make the postseason, they have the tools to make a long run through October. So why wouldn't they get aggressive in the market as buyers instead?

That's an idea that The Athletic's MLB analyst Jim Bowden touched on recently.

MLB analyst connects Astros to ace duo of Jesus Luzardo and Garrett Crochet

Bowden is insistent that Houston will be buyers, even claiming them to potentially be aggressive buyers, rather than sellers at the deadline. And it makes sense.

"The Astros got off to a slow start and have had to deal with significant injuries to their starting rotation. But somehow, they are still within striking distance, just 5 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot. Therefore, expect them to be aggressive at this year’s trade deadline," Bowden wrote.

Bowden lists off a few starting pitchers, but the names Jesus Luzardo and Garrett Crochet stick out like sore thumbs. These two controllable aces have been rumored to be in the middle of trade talks all season. Both could see themselves dealt in the next few weeks.

Luzardo, 26, is under contract through 2026. The southpaw currently holds an ERA over 5.00, but that's bound to come down, as seen by his 3.83 FIP (fielding independent pitching). Despite this down year, Luzardo holds a ton of value because of his controllability, youth, and potential.

Crochet, 24, is also under contract through 2026. The lefty has recently made the switch from the bullpen to the starting rotation and it's gone incredibly well for him. He holds a sub-1.00 WHIP and a 3.33 ERA in 14 starts. His Baseball Savant numbers also indicate that he's performing better than this, given his xERA of 2.31. We could see his numbers continue to improve, which is absurd to even think about.

The Astros would be much better off if they're able to land either one of these lefties. They desperately need to find pitching help after all the injuries that their pitching staff has been through. If Houston opts to buy, one of these two aces needs to be at the top of their priorities.