The Houston Astros are looking to improve their roster ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, and they apparently have a dream candidate in mind.
MLB reporter Jon Heyman appeared on MLB Network Tuesday to talk about what moves might happen ahead of the deadline. He discussed the possibility of a Shohei Ohtani trade, whether the Chicago Cubs will be sellers, and what the Astros might do.
Heyman said the Astros need rotation help and “would love” to get Dylan Cease from the White Sox. Heyman described Cease as the Astros’ “dream acquisition” if they can swing such a deal.
According to Heyman, the White Sox regard Cease as one of their more untouchable players, along with Eloy Jimenez, Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert.
If a team offers the White Sox the right package for Cease, perhaps they would bite.
Cease is 40-29 with a 3.67 career ERA. He finished second in AL Cy Young voting last season. In 2021, he led the AL with 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
This season, Cease is 4-3 with a 4.18 ERA. The 27-year-old has 129 strikeouts in 107.2 innings. He is under team control through 2025, which makes him particularly attractive to interested teams.
