How crucial ingredients for an Astros-Yankees trade are quickly adding up

TRADE RUMORS SWIRLING

The Houston Astros have a big opportunity ahead of them, and they're looking for ways to improve the club with the trade deadline on the horizon. Astros GM Dana Brown has stated that trading some of the team's outfield depth for another major league player could be a tactic they employ.

In fact, Ken Rosenthal reported that the Yankees (who could use some outfield help with Judge injured) reached out to ask about Chas McCormick.

Via:The Athletic

"We’re exploring trading major-league player for major-league player with teams that are contending that make sense,” Brown said. “We have a lot of outfielders right now..."

The Yankees had previous interest in McCormick, according to major-league sources who were granted anonymity so they could speak candidly. McCormick’s opposite-field power would appear ideal for the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium. The teams, however, never got close on a deal.

First of all, who could blame any team for calling about Chas? The Astros still haven't fully committed to him in center field. Perhaps the Astros don't value him as much as other teams? Hey, it doesn't hurt to call.

But would the Astros entertain trading McCormick to the Yankees? Doubtful. Houston's top priority now is adding a starting pitcher. The Yankees have so many injuries to their rotation that a move like that wouldn't make sense for either party, so it stands to reason that a deal never got close.

Shipping off McCormick also would seriously impact the Astros depth. If they move Mauricio Dubon to center, their infield depth immediately takes a hit, and counting on Jake Meyers feels like a scary proposition. Plus, McCormick is one of the best hitters on a team that's struggling offensively (17th in team OPS).

So if not Chas, or a trade with the Yankees, would one of the Astros other outfielders provide any value in a trade? And which player would you rather see moved?

Don't miss the video above as we cover all the angles!

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Jalen Green leads the Rockets to victory! Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Jalen Green scored 34 points and the Houston Rockets never trailed in a 106-101 victory over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.

Jabari Smith added 17 points and Alperen Sengun had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Houston.

The Rockets rebounded from a 109-106 loss to the Spurs on Saturday to close out a two-game set in San Antonio.

Jeremy Sochan had 22 points and nine rebounds, and Wembanyama had 12 points and 18 rebounds for the Spurs.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston gave up six consecutive points to allow San Antonio to get within 101-99 with 36 seconds remaining. Veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, who was 3 for 13 from the field at the time, calmly drained a 3-pointer with 18 seconds remaining. VanVleet finished with 11 points.

Spurs: Chris Paul had 16 points after scoring a combined six in San Antonio’s first two games. It was his highest-scoring game since he had 19 points against the Spurs on March 11 while with Golden State. Paul had just three assists after averaging 8.5 in his first two games.

Key moment

San Antonio missed five consecutive shots on one possession in the third quarter, including four at near point-blank range. Sochan opened the possession by missing a floater. Keldon Johnson then missed a 3-pointer, Sochan missed a hook shot, Zach Collins missed a 3-pointer and Sochan ended the futility by missing a layup. After failing to secure the previous four rebounds, Houston gained possession and quickly drove down the court to score on a hook shot by Steven Adams.

Key stat

After shooting 60% in the opening period on Saturday, San Antonio shot 32% in the first quarter Monday and fell behind 29-15.

Up next

The Rockets visit Dallas on Thursday and the Spurs play at Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Find out more about it here.

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