Astros-Cardinals Trade Speculation Heating Up After Houston's Collapse

"Pitching will be at the top of Houston's wish list this offseason, whether it sneaks into the playoffs or not. This year's rotation was decimated by injury, making increased depth paramount even before Framber Valdez more or less sealed his departure in free agency and Luis Garcia was lost for 2026 due to yet another major surgery," Landers wrote. "There's really not much here beyond Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier, especially not much in the way of known quantities.

"Plus, owner Jim Crane will have money to burn with Valdez (and former first baseman Jose Abreu; yes, seriously) coming off the books and a desire to atone for what's been a rough year in Houston. The Astros reportedly flirted with Dylan Cease at the trade deadline and could make a run at him in free agency, but if the bidding there gets too steep, Gray is a very nice fallback option that will add some much-needed stability to this rotation."

The Astros were one of the best teams in baseball for a while, but they didn't have the health or the talent down the stretch. Houston's pitching staff struggled, which should make it a point of emphasis in the offseason.

The Astros might not have the money to reunite with Framber Valdez in the offseason, so a trade for somebody like Gray would make a lot of sense, especially if the Cardinals are willing to eat a portion of his contract.

As of now, Gray's no-trade clause could get in the way of this idea, but there's a chance the Cardinals and Astros could make a move in the coming weeks.