Blue Jays: If they trade him, where could Estrada go?

Houston Astros

For as incredible as their season has been, the Astros haven’t had a great deal of luck with their rotation in 2017. Dallas Keuchel has missed significant time with injury, making just 14 starts so far. That said, he’s made a significant impact when he has been on the mound, as he’s 9-2 with a 2.87 ERA. He was hit hard during his start on Tuesday, but chances are the Astros can rely on him going forward now that he’s healthy.

Beyond him, they’ve finally got Colin McHugh back from the DL as well, as he’s made just four starts thus far. He hasn’t been great yet, but he should be an asset before the season is out. Charlie Morton has had a surprisingly good year at 9-4 with a 3.78 ERA, and Mike Fiers has been serviceable as well at 7-6 and a 4.03 ERA.

Lance McCullers Jr. may be the wild card, as his wonky back has his back on the disabled list. If the Astros knew they could rely on his health as well, maybe there’s enough upside with the total group. As it is, they could probably use the help, and someone with the playoff experience and pedigree that Estrada boasts could be useful for the American League’s best team.

The two teams already hooked up on a deal for Liriano, so they’re familiar with each other’s systems and may even have had talks about Estrada before the non-waiver deadline. To me it feels like the Blue Jays won the Liriano for Hernandez/Aoki deal, especially given the former’s performance with Houston thus far, so maybe Houston will shy away from dealing with Toronto again. However, if they’re looking for a potential rotation upgrade, Estrada is among the few viable candidates they could explore in August.