I mean…technically, it’s a fit. Technically.

All of a sudden, the New York Yankees have another reason to root for the Houston Astros to fall back out of playoff contention, other than rival-induced schadenfreude.

Though the ‘Stros hit the skids early this season, they’ve worked their way back close to .500 and likely fancy themselves buyers this summer, with attainable Wild Card spots directly in front of them and only the Mariners looming above them in the AL West. FanGraphs believes the Astros have a nearly 50% shot at making the postseason, and it’s difficult to disagree, knowing their propensity for sprinting directly to the ALCS every single year. Pending another impressive slide, Houston will probably be “going for it” once again this year — but that doesn’t mean the Yankees can’t dream.

The Bombers have raced to the top of the AL East, but are lacking proven swing-and-miss arms in the bullpen. Their infield is also spotty at best; whether Anthony Rizzo is healthy or not, Anthony Volpe represents the only name fans can unequivocally trust right now. That means that, yes, third base is very much open.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post is well aware that the Yankees and Astros probably won’t link up this summer, but he couldn’t help but be tempted by the idea of a Ryan Pressly/Alex Bregman package, which would send one of the game’s preeminent Derek Jeter fans to the hot corner in the Bronx.

Could Yankees hope for Astros to trade them Alex Bregman and Ryan Pressly? Nah…but…?

Bregman, who’ll be a free agent after the 2024 season, probably won’t be in the Yankees’ sights, despite a glaring need at the position. Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner will be too busy budgeting for Juan Soto; unless New York goes supernova, a $150-200 million Bregman contract doesn’t represent a likely use of their budget. The 2004 Yankees would’ve done it. The 2024 Yankees? They’ve already told you they won’t.

Still, the Astros probably won’t extend Bregman, either. They’re saving space for Kyle Tucker, and have already deftly reloaded and replaced key figures like George Springer and Carlos Correa in recent years. In that case, why not get a head start, given the semi-sorry state of their farm system? They could parlay Bregman’s recent hot streak (a .366 average/1.040 OPS over the past 28 games) into an overpay, and the Yankees could entice them with lottery tickets like Roderick Arias or (gulp) Spencer Jones. Pressly, dealing with a down year, would come cheaper, though his 38 Ks in 30 innings (4.50 ERA, 1.467 WHIP) still represents more swing-and-miss than most Yankees relievers.

The Astros are likelier to say no to these conversations than the Yankees, who’ve been more than willing to overlook rivalry walls in past trade chatter. But still, for the time being, it’s fun to think about how an Astros plummet could be mutually beneficial.