Justin Verlander, who won his third Cy Young Award last season with the Houston Astros, is being traded back to Houston after signing with the Mets in the offseason. Frank Franklin II/Associated Presss

HOUSTON — The Astros are bringing back Justin Verlander, acquiring the three-time Cy Young Award winner from the New York Mets in a trade deadline blockbuster Tuesday, Houston owner Jim Crane told The Associated Press.

The Astros are shipping outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford to New York. Crane said the Mets will send roughly $54 million to Houston to help pay off Verlander’s contract. The 40-year-old pitcher signed an $86.7 million, two-year deal with the Mets in December that includes a vesting option for 2025 at $35 million.

“(General Manager) Dana (Brown) and his team worked on it hard,” Crane told the AP. “After we looked at the numbers – it’s always tough to give up prospects, but I think they determined that it was the right move. We needed starting pitching. He’s been throwing well. And I think the other factor is they ate a lot of the contract. So it wasn’t a really hard decision. It was just would we give up enough prospects?”

The underperforming Mets are dismantling the most expensive roster in major league history. They dealt ace Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers in a trade announced Sunday and followed up Tuesday by shedding Verlander.

Crane said he and Brown didn’t think there was any chance Verlander would be traded until Scherzer was dealt. After he was moved, the Astros figured they’d be a frontrunner if the Mets wanted to trade Verlander, too.

“We knew he had (the no-trade clause) and I think we felt strongly if given the opportunity, there were only a few landing spots and we were one of them,” Crane said.

Verlander earned his 250th career victory on Sunday, and 61 of those came with Houston. He was first acquired from the Detroit Tigers during the 2017 season, when he helped pitch the Astros to a World Series title.

“It gives a boost to the fans,” Crane said. “It gives a boost to the locker room. I know (Manager) Dusty (Baker) will be happy. So it’s a big day when you have your Cy Young guy come back.”

Verlander won his third Cy Young Award and second World Series championship with Houston last season, then became a free agent.

The St. Louis Cardinals traded starting pitcher Jack Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. Matt York/Associated Press

ORIOLES-CARDINALS: Baltimore acquired right-hander Jack Flaherty from the St. Louis Cardinals in an effort to bolster a starting rotation that’s helped the Orioles take the lead in the AL East but now faces fatigue concerns heading into the stretch run.

With a low payroll and a wealth of prospects — particularly position players — the Orioles had a chance to be one of baseball’s most aggressive teams at the trade deadline. Ultimately, they held onto their most highly touted minor leaguers and are bringing in the 27-year-old Flaherty, who can become a free agent after this season.

Flaherty was 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA this year for the Cardinals, who are mired in last place in the NL Central. St. Louis also dealt left-hander Jordan Montgomery to Texas on Sunday.

The Orioles gave up infielder César Prieto, left-hander Drew Rom and right-hander Zack Showalter for Flaherty. Prieto is Baltimore’s No. 16 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and Rom is No. 18, but Baltimore did not part with any of its eight prospects ranked in baseball’s top 100.

The 24-year-old Prieto hit .317 in 27 games for Triple-A Norfolk this season, and the 23-year-old Rom went 7-6 with a 5.34 ERA for Norfolk. The 19-year-old Showalter went 0-2 with a 2.37 ERA for Class A Delmarva.

PHILLIES-TIGERS: The defending NL champion Philadelphia Phillies acquired right-hander Michael Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers for minor league infielder Hao-Yu Lee.

The 31-year-old Lorenzen made the All-Star team this season for Detroit. He’s 5-7 with a 3.58 ERA in his best year since converting from a reliever into a starter.

“Hopefully, the Phillies reap the rewards of what the Tigers put into me,” Lorenzen said. “I think I’ve thrown the best ball I’ve ever thrown, and I think there’s still more in me. Hopefully, when I get to Philly, I can apply that and they get the benefits of that. I’m just grateful for everything that happened here.”

The Phillies have a double-digit deficit behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, but they are in a tight race for a wild card in the National League.

Philadelphia gave up its No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. The franchise signed Lee out of Taiwan in 2021. The 20-year-old second baseman has hit .283 with a .372 on-base percentage and 14 stolen bases in 64 games for High-A Jersey Shore this season.

BLUE JAYS-CARDINALS: The Toronto Blue Jays acquired shortstop Paul DeJong and cash from the St. Louis Cardinals while they evaluate the status of injured star Bo Bichette.

The Blue Jays are sending 24-year-old pitching prospect Matt Svanson to St. Louis.

The trade comes one day after Bichette, an All-Star shortstop, left a game against the Baltimore Orioles when he appeared to injure his right knee.

The Blue Jays had not announced the extent of Bichette’s injury as of Tuesday afternoon.

DeJong was an All-Star in 2019 but hasn’t replicated quite that form since. He’s hitting .233 with 13 home runs, 32 RBI and a .710 OPS in 81 games this season. The 29-year-old has played his entire seven-year career so far with the Cardinals.

The Blue Jays designated outfielder Jordan Luplow for assignment to make room for DeJong on the 40-man roster.

MARLINS: The Miami Marlins acquired infielder Jake Burger from the Chicago White Sox and first baseman Josh Bell from the Cleveland Guardians as the team bolsters its lineup for a playoff push.

Miami sent pitching prospect Jake Eder to Chicago in exchange for Burger and dealt infielder Jean Segura and infield prospect Kahlil Watson to Cleveland for Bell. Segura will be released by the Guardians.

RAYS-CUBS: The Tampa Bay Rays acquired minor league right-handers Adrian Sampson and Manuel Rodríguez in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.

The move improves Tampa Bay’s pitching depth as it tries to chase down AL East-leading Baltimore. Sampson is 11-19 with a 4.43 ERA in 72 major league appearances, including 44 starts. Rodríguez is 5-3 with a 4.88 ERA and five saves in 34 big league games.

The Rays acquired Sampson, Rodríguez and international signing bonus pool space from the Cubs for minor league right-hander Josh Roberson. The 27-year-old Roberson, a 12th-round pick in the 2017 amateur draft, went 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 31 appearances for Triple-A Durham this year.

BRAVES-ROCKIES: The Atlanta Braves added another veteran left-hander to their bullpen by acquiring Brad Hand from the Colorado Rockies before the trade deadline.

The Rockies acquired right-hander Alec Barger, who was 3-2 with a 3.29 ERA for Double-A Mississippi. Barger, 25, was a 17th-round draft pick out of North Carolina State by Atlanta in 2019.

Hand, 33, bolsters the bullpen, which also had left-hander A.J. Minter reinstated from the 15-day injured list on Monday. Minter had been out since July 12 while recovering from left shoulder inflammation.

BREWERS-DIAMONDBACKS: Milwaukee and Arizona swapped relievers as they continue their playoff pushes, with the Brewers acquiring left-hander Andrew Chafin from the Diamondbacks in exchange for right-hander Peter Strzelecki.

The Brewers and Diamondbacks were tied with the Miami Marlins for the NL’s third and final wild-card position as the trade deadline arrived. Milwaukee trailed the first-place Cincinnati Reds by 1 1/2 games in the NL Central and Arizona was 3 1/2 back of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 33-year-old Chafin has been a consistent, durable reliever for 10 years in the big leagues. The left-hander has a 2-3 record, 4.19 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings this season, which was his second stint with the Diamondbacks.

PADRES-PIRATES: The big-budget San Diego Padres, desperate to turn around their disappointing season, obtained 43-year-old left-hander Rich Hill and first baseman/ designated hitter Ji Man Choi from the Pittsburgh Pirates for three players.

The Padres are led by stars Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts, yet are buried in fourth place in the NL West, 8 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, and five games out of the third wild-card spot, with four teams ahead of them. The Padres entered this season with World Series aspirations after reaching the NL Championship Series last year and then increasing their payroll to nearly $250 million, third highest in the majors.

The Padres parted with prospects Jackson Wolf, a left-hander, and Estuar Suero, an outfielder, as well as first baseman Alfonso Rivas.

YANKEES-WHITE SOX: The Yankees made a relatively minor move at the trade deadline, acquiring reliever Keynan Middleton from the Chicago White Sox for minor league right-hander Juan Carela.

Middleton, a 29-year-old right-hander, is 2-2 with two saves and a 3.96 ERA in 39 relief appearances this season, striking out 47 but walking 16 and allowing seven home runs in 36 1/3 innings.

RANGERS-PIRATES: The Texas Rangers acquired catcher Austin Hedges from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for international bonus pool money.

Texas was looking for depth behind the plate with switch-hitting All-Star catcher Jonah Heim on the injured list with a strained tendon in his left wrist.

Hedges has hit .180 with one home run and 14 RBI in 65 games with Pittsburgh this season, starting 61 games. He is a standout defender, known for his ability to frame pitches, something Heim also excels at while being a solid offensive player.

ANGELS-METS: The Los Angeles Angels capped a busy trade deadline by acquiring reliever Dominic Leone from the New York Mets for minor league shortstop Jeremiah Jackson.