The Houston Astros are ready to make a major upgrade to their rotation at the trade deadline. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome report the Astros are eyeing San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease.
Dylan Cease is at the top of the Astros trade deadline wish list.
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 29, 2025
(Via: @Chandler_Rome, @Ken_Rosenthal) pic.twitter.com/rU5IMefQMh
Cease, a free agent at the end of the season, is 3-10 with a 4.79 ERA and 87 ERA+, but leads all of baseball in strikeouts per nine innings at 11.6. He was also the runner-up for the American League Cy Young award in 2022 and fourth in National League Cy Young voting in 2024.
Even though the Astros are interested, it doesn’t mean a deal will get done.
“The challenge for the Astros in acquiring Cease might be finding a suitable match with the Padres, who are only interested in trading the pitcher if they can improve their current major-league roster,” according to Rosenthal and Rome, adding that Houston “would prefer not to trade young, controllable major leaguers.”
Acquiring Cease would form a strong trio along with Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. Astros starters rank first in the AL in strikeouts (606) and sixth in ERA (3.90). Houston also has several pitchers returning next month in Cristian Javier, Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia and J.P. France.
The Padres, who currently hold the last NL Wild Card spot, are expected to get starter Michael King back at some point next month. With the July 31 deadline looming, it wouldn’t be surprising if San Diego operates as both buyers and sellers.
