In a somewhat surprising move, the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros completed a trade to acquire ace Justin Verlander from the New York Mets, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Astros’ highest rated prospect by MLB.com, outfielder Drew Gilbert, is headed to the Mets as is minor league outfielder Ryan Clifford. The Mets are easily one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this season as coming into this year they were seen as a team with a legitimate shot at winning the World Series.
The Astros sit at 60-47, just a half game behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West and will like their chances a lot more after adding a significant upgrade to their rotation. After some early struggles, Verlander has turned it around recently posting a 1.49 ERA over his last seven starts.