Astros Trade Rumors: Zack Wheeler, Robbie Ray HOU's Focus Ahead of Deadline

The Houston Astros are reportedly focused on New York Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler and Arizona Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray ahead of Wednesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

Houston owns the best record in the American League at 69-39 and holds an eight-game lead over the Oakland Athletics in the AL West.

The addition of Wheeler or Ray would give the Astros a formidable top four in their starting rotation with Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley already in the fold.

Wheeler is seemingly a strong bet to move prior to Wednesday's deadline. He is in the final year of his contract, and the Mets acquired starter Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that the Mets intend to keep starter Noah Syndergaard as well, which should make a Wheeler trade even more likely.

The 29-year-old Wheeler is 7-6 with a 4.71 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 137 strikeouts in 124.1 innings this season. While the ERA is high, his 3.65 FIP is solid, and he is also posting career bests in strikeout rate (9.9 per nine innings) and walk rate (2.5 per nine innings).

Houston also may not have to part with much to land Wheeler since the Mets figure to lose him for nothing this offseason if they don't trade him.

The 27-year-old Ray has also been mentioned often as a starter who could be on the move. Arizona is stuck around the .500 mark at 54-54, and he is only under team control through 2020.

Ray has been one of the top strikeout pitchers in baseball over the past four seasons. He has struck out at least 12.0 batters per nine innings in each of the past three campaigns and struck out 11.3 per nine in 2016.

This season, Ray is 9-7 with a 3.91 ERA (4.26 FIP), 1.30 WHIP and 173 strikeouts in 129 innings. Just two seasons ago, Ray went 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA, was named an All-Star for the first time and finished seventh in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

Ray may be a better fit for Houston. He is controllable beyond this season and would give Houston balance in its rotation since he and Miley are both lefties, while Verlander and Cole are righties.

The Astros are a top World Series contender even if they don't land a starter. Verlander, Cole and Miley all have an ERA of 3.06 or better, plus Houston has one of the best lineups in baseball led by Jose Altuve, George Springer, Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and rookie sensation Yordan Alvarez.

If Houston can land one of Wheeler or Ray, though, it will strengthen an already quality rotation and prevent another contender like the New York Yankees or Minnesota Twins from securing an upgrade.