As the Mets crumble, it's time to look forward to the trade deadline in Queens.

While general manager Sandy Alderson hasn't put up the 'FOR SALE' sign quite yet, the Mets should seriously think about marketing players in a trade deadline sell off. The usual suspects--veterans, soon-to-be free agents, relievers--are the most likely to be dealt if the Mets act as sellers, calls come come rolling in on young, cost-controlled stars.

According to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, the MLB-best Houston Astros could be a team that rings Alderson's phone--with a request for Jacob deGrom as part of the conversation.

In a piece explaining Houston's needs in order to go from dominant regular season team to World Series winner, Verducci mentioned the Astros' affinity for deGrom as their perfect starting pitching acquisition candidate.

The fertile Houston farm system must be tapped next month to fill the two obvious holes on what otherwise is a complete team: a starting pitcher and a lefthanded reliever.

In a perfect world--and in an indication of how high they're shooting--the Astros would love to add Mets ace Jacob deGrom, but there is no indication New York would even consider moving their one reliable starter who still has three years of arbitration control.

DeGrom, 29, entered play on June 23 with a 3.94 ERA across 14 starts. That has come with a career-best 10.7 SO/9 rate. Since debuting in 2014, the righty owns a 2.93 ERA. Over that span, deGrom's ERA ranks seventh among starters with at least 500 innings pitched. The six aces above him on that list: Clayton Kershaw, Jake Arrieta, Zack Greinke, Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and Madison Bumgarner. We're talking about one of the 10-or-so best starters in baseball.

As Verducci reports, there's no indication the Mets would even entertain the notion of dealing deGrom. But if the Astros do call, the mere idea of Alderson listening and using a down 2017 and deGrom's value to reshape the future of the franchise would be fascinating.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.