Dodgers Linked to Astros $18 Million All-Star in Potential Blockbuster Trade

Lutz broke down the situation revolving around Astros ace pitcher Framber Valdez. Valdez is a free agent at the end of this year. The 31-year-old has quietly become one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game over recent seasons.

Signing him to a lengthy extension as he approaches his mid-30s might be too much for the Astros to ultimately take on. However, if he is put on the market, two teams in the NL West, according to Lutz, could be fits.

"As for Valdez, if Houston does sell, the Dodgers and Padres could be front-runners. Both are in contention and could use a durable left-handed starter. The Padres could use someone to complement Michael King and help offset Dylan Cease’s inconsistency.

"The Dodgers’ pitching injuries have been well-documented, and question marks in the current rotation behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto could inspire a front office motivated to repeat as champions. A Padres-Dodgers bidding war for Valdez would be electric, and it wouldn’t be the first time those clubs clashed at the deadline."

The struggles to keep pitchers healthy has been well chronicled throughout this year. Valdez likely would only be a rental, and we've seen the Dodgers be a bit reticent in giving up players/prospects of value for a short-term fix.

At the same time, it's not out of the realm of possibilities to see a move of this magnitude. Technically, Manny Machado was acquired as a rental — and he helped get the Dodgers to a World Series. Jack Flaherty was a rental last year, too.

Valdez would immediately become a fixture atop this rotation even if every pitcher were healthy. The crafty left-handed hurler ranks this season in the 97th percentile in ground ball percentage (according to Baseball Savant). Valdez also ranks above the 90th percentile in fastball run value, pitching run value, and breaking run value.

The sinker-curveball combination is among the best in baseball, and Valdez also works in a changeup and (quite sparingly) a slider.

Seeing San Diego and Los Angeles bid against one another, as Lutz suggests as a possibility above, would be quite the spectacle. Another Dodgers-Padres playoff series is must-see television of the highest order.