Given their iconic playoff showdowns and heated rivalry, any massive trade between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees trade sounds highly unlikely.
In fact, former MLB general manager Dan O’Dowd outright admitted the AL powerhouses would “probably never” make a meaningful trade with one another. Still, that doesn’t mean O’Dowd can’t pitch (pun not intended) a potential deal sending Astros star Framber Valdez to the Bronx.
As O’Dowd noted on Thursday evening, the Yankees need pitching rotation help. Various injuries, including ace Gerrit Cole’s season-ending elbow injury, have robbed the Yankees of reliable starters behind Max Fried and Carlos Rodón.
Enter Valdez, at least if O’Dowd got his way.
“Strike-thrower, heavy sinker-ball guy,” O’Dowd said on MLB Network. “Another lefty in their rotation to go with Fried and Rodon.”
Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Valdez entered Saturday’s start against the Seattle Mariners with a 3.57 ERA and 59 strikeouts across 63 innings. Although he’s been durable for an inconsistent Astros squad, Valdez is nonetheless on pace for his highest ERA since the shortened COVID season.
Barring a disastrous collapse over the next two months, the Yankees will almost certainly buy at the deadline. It’s too early to know what the 26-24 Astros will do, though Valdez turns 32 in November and can hit free agency this winter.
“I do think [the Yankees] need to add a starting pitcher to their rotation,” O’Dowd noted, only hours after the club placed reliever Fernando Cruz (right shoulder inflammation) on the injured list.
“But the American League West is not a dominant division,” O’Dowd continued. “The Astros should be able to stay around forever.”
