Houston Astros Linked to Star Pitcher in Trade Market Once Again

As the Houston Astros start to navigate their offseason, they have continued to be linked to a star pitcher who is seemingly available in the trade market.

Don't expect the Houston Astros to be major players in free agency during the offseason. It's been reported that they have a limited budget to work with and aren't focusing on bringing in well known names to their already established team.

There's not much they need to do either with their core group of stars returning for the 2024 season and a starting rotation that is intact.

However, the Astros have continued to be linked to the ace of the Chicago White Sox in trade conversations.

With the White Sox seemingly ready to start their rebuild, they are taking calls on all of their players, Dylan Cease included. The right-hander is one of their best trade chips that could return them some building block pieces.

MLB Trade Rumors has listed Houston as a team to watch when it comes to acquiring Cease.

He would immediately come in and boost their rotation. Having a Cy Young runner-up in 2022 as their No. 3 pitcher would be scary for any opposing team during the playoffs.

However, there are some things that could hold the Astros back from making this deal or getting it completed.

Nick Deeds of MLBTR writes, "While the Astros could certainly use pitching help this offseason after being forced to rely on rookies like Hunter Brown and JP France for much of the 2023 season, it’s fair to wonder if the club has the appetite for another pitching blockbuster just a few months after swinging a deal with the Mets to bring Justin Verlander back to Houston at the trade deadline earlier this year."

That's definitely a fair point.

General manager Dana Brown made his first big splash at the deadline last year to get Verlander back and might not feel pressure to make another one so soon.

The other aspect is that Houston's pipeline might not be strong enough to entice Chicago into making this trade.

"What’s more, the Astros are relatively lacking in the young, big league-ready talent that the Sox might look to acquire in a Cease deal," Deeds adds.

These two things combined makes it seem like the Astros acquiring the ace is a longshot, but they continue to be thrown around as a team to watch in the trade market.

It's definitely something to monitor.