HOUSTON — Middle relievers merit little outside fanfare, a fact AJ Blubaugh’s first major-league season has underscored. According to Baseball Savant, he is worth the same pitching run value as $95 million closer Josh Hader. Blubaugh does not receive the acclaim or attention of his higher-paid peers but sometimes must clean up the carnage they leave behind.Blubaugh ascended the Houston Astros’ farm system as a starting pitcher but is flourishing in the bullpen during his first taste of major-league life. He has protected Houston’s pitching staff and kept its potent offense within reach during games threatening to go awry. The team is indebted to this affable right-hander who warms up to the “Rocky” theme.To what degree may soon become a pertinent question. Blubaugh has emerged as a sought-after trade target during the Astros’ discussions with other clubs, according to multiple people with knowledge of the Astros’ conversations but not authorized to speak publicly about them.No deal is believed to be close, but the mere fact Blubaugh is being bandied about is instructive. General manager Dana Brown’s deadline priorities include a left-handed-hitting outfielder, a right-handed reliever and — given the recent performance of his rotation — perhaps a starting pitcher.Addressing all of these needs with one of the sport’s worst-rated farm systems seems impossible. If the Astros intend on protecting the few premier prospects they possess, Blubaugh is the archetype of what they may have to surrender on or before Aug. 3: a controllable, young player with some semblance of a major-league track record.Following up on three bold MLB predictionsAndy McCulloughPrecedent exists for this exact path. In 2023, Brown included Jake Bloss and Joey Loperfido in the three-player package used to acquire Yusei Kikuchi from the Toronto Blue Jays. Bloss and Loperfido were in their rookie seasons and contributors — but not essential mainstays — on the Astros’ major-league roster.Whether Blubaugh fits that description is up for debate, but his value is obvious to the 2026 Astros and teams attempting to acquire him. He will turn 26 years old on Saturday and has five seasons of team control remaining. For two of them, Blubaugh will make the league-minimum salary. Cost-controlled pitching is coveted by every club.Blubaugh tossed 2 2/3 more scoreless frames during Wednesday night’s 8-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. It lowered his ERA to 3.36 across 56 1/3 innings. No major-league reliever has thrown more.On Wednesday, Blubaugh’s four-seam fastball touched 98.4 mph. Seven of the 10 Twins he faced saw a first-pitch strike. Of the three hitters who reached base against him, just one passed first base.Blubaugh has allowed one earned run across his past 17 2/3 innings. He has not allowed multiple runs in an outing since May 24. Since he surrendered five earned runs in Coors Field’s elevation on April 8, Blubaugh has a 2.06 ERA. During that stretch, only 10 American League relievers have a lower one.Eighteen of Blubaugh’s 34 outings this season have been two or more innings. Ten of those have been scoreless. Washington Nationals right-hander Brad Lord is the only other major-league reliever to have 10 scoreless appearances of at least two innings.By every metric, Blubaugh is blossoming into an almost indispensable piece of the Astros’ attempt to stay afloat in the American League playoff hunt. What Brown and his baseball operations team may soon debate is whether they can complete that pursuit without him.Blubaugh is not the only Astro able to throw multiple innings. Cristian Javier, the starting pitcher signed to a $64 million extension, will move to the bullpen Friday. Rookie Miguel Ullola is already there and, like Blubaugh, is a converted starter with five years of team control remaining.The looming second-half return of veterans Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski from Tommy John surgery will afford two more options. Bear in mind, too, that Alimber Santa is currently at Triple-A Sugar Land but threw more than one inning in five of his eight major-league appearances earlier this season.That seems like a surplus, but rarely is that word sustainable when describing pitching staffs. Still, it is likely why the Astros are listening on other members of their bullpen, according to multiple sources. Blubaugh’s combination of performance and control may make him the one with the most value.Brown must decide how to use it.