Houston Astros Trade for Zack Greinke at Deadline Buzzer in Absolute Stunner
By Adam Weinrib
The best pitcher available at the deadline wasn't even truly thought to be a trade option until the horn sounded on Wednesday's madness.
Perhaps the dullest trade deadline we've ever encountered ended with a monstrous explosion; Zack Greinke will join Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander in a nigh untouchable playoff rotation with the Astros.
BREAKING: Greinke to Astros, source tells ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2019
The cost is likely exorbitant, but who cares? Barring disaster, Houston just stamped their feet as the heaviest American League favorites imaginable. They know what it takes to maximize a window, and will be importing Greinke's playoff mettle, wide array of stuff, and 2.90 ERA. The deal doesn't even include Houston's top prospect, outfielder Kyle Tucker.
To dbacks for Greinke: Corbin Martin, jb buskauskas, 2 other recent high picks of theirs in system
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2019
The New York Yankees, Houston's chief rival in the pitching market, instead opted to add absolutely zero big-league help at what is now the only internal deadline on the baseball calendar. Much like the Verlander deal at the horn in 2017, another option the Yankees passed on in favor of saving more money, Houston just turned an uneventful deadline into must-see TV.
Never before has more distance been created between supposed contenders with a single strike of the pen.