A new Astros-White Sox trade to create a two-headed monster few saw coming

The Houston Astros pitching rotation has been through hell and back this year. They've seen multiple arms go down to Tommy John Surgery, sidelining them for the next 18-24 months. They've seen multiple starters not make their debut this season due to injury.

Verlander has been hurt, Arrighetti has struggled, Blanco was punished for foreign substance use and Hunter Brown was horrible.

Again, Hunter Brown was horrible for his first 11 starts. But over his last five starts, he's actually been incredible, posting a 0.29 ERA over those five starts, best in the MLB over that span.

The Astros could look to form a two-headed, or three-headed monster if you count Blano, at the top of their rotation by forming a trade for the Chicago White Sox ace, Garrett Crochet.

An Astros-White Sox trade to turn a Houston weakness into a strength

The Astros' pitching rotation has been their glaring weakness this year. If they can add Crochet and return Verlander from the injured list, that weakness could quickly become a strength. Crochet would be quite the expensive starter to add, but he comes with a boatload of potential and tons of team control, as well as willingness to sign an extension.

Chicago has been adamant in every report that they are looking for young, high-potential prospects in a trade for Garrett Crochet or Luis Robert Jr. They value the youth and potential of an 18-year-old that has the floor of never making the league over a 24-year-old that projects as a rotational piece. They like the 18-year-old because they could develop him into an All-Star.

All four prospects in the hypothetical deal proposed are 22 years old or younger with Baez being 20 and Jaworsky being 19. It's exactly the kind of deal that Chicago is looking for.

Baez and Matthews headline the deal, being Houston's second and third ranked prospects, per MLB Pipeline. They're both having incredible seasons in the lower levels of the minor leagues and could very well be promoted soon.

Fleury is a bit of a questionable prospect because the Astros haven't found a home for him as a starter or reliever yet. Still, he has one of the best changeups in baseball and could develop into quite the talented arm.

Jaworsky is a wild card prospect, still being a teenager. He's a solid athlete that projects as a good defender with a decent bat. This is the kind of prospect that Chicago is willing to take chances on.

But Houston can give up this haul because they want and need to win right now. Crochet would likely look to sign a long-term extension wherever he's traded, which adds a ton of protection and security for the Astros in making this trade. Acquiring an ace for the next half decade is worth any package of prospects put together by Houston.