Astros Targeting Zack Wheeler Has Everything to Do With Kyle Tucker
By Kevin Aquino
The Houston Astros are in the market for a starting pitcher, but they're holding onto Kyle Tucker for dear life.
Some other teams believe Zack Wheeler will land with Houston eventually, because he is the type they value and because he’s not as expensive as other starting pitchers. HOU has signaled for weeks: they won’t trade Kyle Tucker
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 30, 2019
New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard has been linked to the Astros in a potential trade, but Houston is not willing to part ways with their top prospect outfielder, Tucker.
Instead, the Astros could look to another Mets pitcher in Zack Wheeler, who has also been made available in trade discussions. Wheeler could be a part of the Astros by the end of the trade deadline, according to some MLB scouts. Others, not so much.
Astros have one of the best lineups in MLB history, and need a starting pitcher.
— Matt Hammond (@MattHammondShow) July 29, 2019
So how isn’t Kyle Tucker already traded to the Mets for Noah Syndergaard?
The Mets are likely shopping Syndergaard and Wheeler even harder now, given that they acquired Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. But with a Syndergaard-Tucker swap unlikely, Wheeler is the more realistic candidate to be moved to Houston.
The Houston #Astros will come away with one more starter by Wednesday, and two GMs predict it will be Zack Wheeler from the #Mets
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 29, 2019
Tucker was selected by the Astros with the fifth-overall pick in the first round of the 2015 draft. Houston would like to see their home-grown prospect pan out, and will change perspective in their pursuit of pitching help to do so.