Padres' Dylan Cease has become a prime trade target for injury-depleted Astros
Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that Cease is at the top of the Astros' wish list as the trade deadline nears, according to sources briefed on the team's discussions.
Advertisement
Cease, 29, would stabilize the Astros' injury-depleted rotation for the rest of the season, and join All-Star right-hander Hunter Brown and left-hander Framber Valdez to give the team a potentially dominant trio in a postseason series.
The Astros, while dealing with lingering injuries to designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, All-Star shortstop Jeremy Pena and All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes, also are in the market for a hitter.
The names under consideration include Minnesota Twins infielder Willi Castro, Miami Marlins outfielder Jesús Sánchez and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jake McCarthy, sources said.
But for Crane, an owner who traded twice for Justin Verlander and once for Zack Greinke and tried to acquire Blake Snell and Josh Hader from the Padres during the 2023 deadline, Cease surely is a more interesting target.
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.
Acquiring Cease and the remainder of his $13.75 million salary also would almost assure the Astros will cross the luxury tax for a second consecutive season.
This winter, multiple team sources indicated Crane had no interest in paying the tax. Sending setup man Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs in a salary dump and shipping part of Rafael Montero's bloated contract to the Atlanta Braves confirmed it. General manager Dana Brown acknowledged the Montero move was made for financial flexibility.
Crane, however, has been known to buck his precedents for players that can provide meaningful improvement to his major-league team. Trading for Greinke was one example. Perhaps Cease could be another.
With a league-leading 17 players on the injured list, the Astros would prefer not to trade young, controllable major leaguers. Yet their farm system, according to The Athletic's Keith Law, ranks 29th in the league.
Advertisement
Cease, who is eligible for free agency at the end of the season, would be a rental. The Astros made a similar trade at last year's deadline, sending pitcher Jake Bloss, outfielder Joey Loperfido and infielder Will Wagner to the Toronto Blue Jays for left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.
At the time, Kikuchi had a 4.75 ERA in 115 2/3 innings. The Astros, who excel at maximizing pitching talent, encouraged Kikuchi to simplify his repertoire, and lean more heavily on his four-seam fastball and slider. Kikuchi had a 2.70 in 10 starts with Houston, then signed a three-year, $63 million free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
Cease, a top-five Cy Young finisher in two of the past three seasons, likely requires less of an overhaul. His 4.79 ERA would be the highest of his career. But his expected ERA is 3.53, and his underlying numbers hint at better performance going forward.
At 97.1 mph, Cease's average fastball velocity ranks in the top 12 percent of the league. His 29.9 strikeout rate is in the top 10 percent, and his highest since 2022, when he was the runner-up for the AL Cy Young. His 9.2 percent walk rate is the second lowest of his career.
The Astros expect the returns of right-handers Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and J.P. France from lengthy, injury-related absences in August. Arrighetti is the closest of the quartet to a major-league return, perhaps after his minor-league rehab start on Thursday with Triple-A Sugar Land.
The production the Astros will receive from each of those pitchers, however, is uncertain. Cease is more of a sure thing. The Astros scouted his start last Wednesday in Miami, when he pitched against another trade candidate, right-hander Sandy Alcantara. Cease that night allowed two runs in five innings.
At the moment, the 2025 line on the back of his baseball card isn't terribly appealing. But Crane's history suggests the name and track record might be enough.
(Top photo of Dylan Cease:)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
12 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Milwaukee Brewers' successful promotion could result in more alumni home run derby events
MILWAUKEE — Maybe the Home Run Derby doesn't have to be limited to All-Star weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers had Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and several other former players competing in an alumni home run derby that followed a game with the Miami Marlins last month. The promotion helped draw a sellout crowd of 41,944 fans, with nearly all of them sticking around to watch the postgame event. Other clubs noticed, too. 'I thought it was a great idea and applaud them,' Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said. 'I believe all of us will be considering something similar.' Brewers manager Pat Murphy is among those already has been conjuring up ways to expand on this idea. 'I think it just opens the door,' Murphy said. 'Can you imagine the Brewers versus the Cubs home run derby — their three legends versus legends of ours. You know what I mean? Can you imagine that happening around the league?' The Brewers' home run derby occurred 11 days after Seattle's Cal Raleigh won Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby and 10 days after the All-Star Game was decided on a swing-off. With the game tied 6-6 after nine innings, three batters from each league took three swings and Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber homered three times to give the NL a 4-3 victory. Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said a half-dozen MLB teams reached out after their alumni home run derby to get information on how well it had worked. Milwaukee's promotion was part of a 25th-anniversary celebration of American Family Field. Keon Broxton, who played for the Brewers from 2016-18, won the event and recreated Fielder's most famous home run celebration by standing tall at home while his teammates surrounding him fell back like a collection of bowling pins. 'It was awesome,' Broxton said afterward. Milwaukee wasn't the first team to do this kind of promotion. The Houston Astros staged their own alumni home run derby events in 2018 and 2019. The Atlanta Braves had an alumni softball home run derby last year. The format represents a different way to welcome back former players, rather than having the traditional Old Timers' Day games from yesteryear. The New York Yankees are holding their first Old Timers' Day game since 2019 on Aug. 9, and the New York Mets are having an alumni game on Sept. 13. But the Brewers' event last weekend generated plenty of national attention, particularly when highlights aired showing how the stands stayed packed throughout the event. 'The guys that were all here, we all said we'd be back for anything like that, whether it's something like what Murph suggested or even keeping it in house and playing a couple-inning game … maybe guys from 2005-10 against guys from 2010-15,' said Casey McGehee, who played for the Brewers from 2009-11 and participated in the home run derby. 'I think there's a lot of opportunity for some really cool stuff to come from it.' Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said he didn't get a chance to watch the alumni derby that followed his team's game in Milwaukee, but he liked Murphy's idea about branching it out. 'A big part of the beauty of our sport is how you remember those who played before, the history of our game and had success for your organization or those who made impacts throughout the league,' McCullough said. 'So anytime we get a chance to celebrate those who did meaningful things, I'm all for it.' The trick in putting together an alumni home run derby is finding the right participants. They must be old enough to have finished playing but remain young enough to still manage to hit batting practice pitches out of a major-league stadium. The Brewers didn't put up makeshift fences in the outfield for this event to make home runs easier, and the former players' swings weren't leaving the ballpark as often as when they were in the big leagues. McGehee believes future home run derby promotions could feature more power than what the ex-Brewers showcased last weekend. McGehee said he tried working on his swing before last week's event, but family obligations got in the way. If he gets another invitation, McGehee expects to be more prepared. 'I think knowing what we know now, the product would probably even get better because we saw how cool that was,' McGehee said. 'I think people would be carving out pretty significant parts of their days to get themselves ready to roll.'
Fox Sports
12 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
More Home Run Derbies? MLB Teams Are Expanding on the All-Star Concept
Major League Baseball More Home Run Derbies? MLB Teams Are Expanding on the All-Star Concept Updated Aug. 5, 2025 3:58 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link Maybe the Home Run Derby doesn't have to be limited to All-Star weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers had Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and several other former players competing in an alumni home run derby that followed a game with the Miami Marlins last month. The promotion helped draw a sellout crowd of 41,944 fans, with nearly all of them sticking around to watch the postgame event. Other clubs noticed, too. "I thought it was a great idea and applaud them," Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said. "I believe all of us will be considering something similar." Brewers manager Pat Murphy is among those already has been conjuring up ways to expand on this idea. "I think it just opens the door," Murphy said. "Can you imagine the Brewers versus the Cubs home run derby — their three legends versus legends of ours. You know what I mean? Can you imagine that happening around the league?" The Brewers' home run derby occurred 11 days after Seattle's Cal Raleigh won Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby and 10 days after the All-Star Game was decided on a swing-off. With the game tied 6-6 after nine innings, three batters from each league took three swings and Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber homered three times to give the NL a 4-3 victory. Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said a half-dozen MLB teams reached out after their alumni home run derby to get information on how well it had worked. ADVERTISEMENT Milwaukee's promotion was part of a 25th-anniversary celebration of American Family Field. Keon Broxton, who played for the Brewers from 2016-18, won the event and recreated Fielder's most famous home-run celebration by standing tall at home while the teammates surrounding him fell back like a collection of bowling pins. "It was awesome," Broxton said afterward. Milwaukee wasn't the first team to do this kind of promotion. The Houston Astros staged their own alumni home run derby events in 2018 and 2019. The Atlanta Braves had an alumni softball home run derby last year. The format represents a different way to welcome back former players rather than having the traditional Old Timers' Day games from yesteryear. The New York Yankees are holding their first Old Timers' Day game since 2019 on Aug. 9, and the New York Mets are having an alumni game Sept. 13. But the Brewers' event last weekend generated plenty of national attention, particularly when highlights aired showing how the stands stayed packed throughout the event. "The guys that were all here, we all said we'd be back for anything like that, whether it's something like what Murph suggested or even keeping it in house and playing a couple-inning game ... maybe guys from 2005-10 against guys from 2010-15," said Casey McGehee, who played for the Brewers from 2009-11 and participated in the home run derby. "I think there's a lot of opportunity for some really cool stuff to come from it." Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said he didn't get a chance to watch the alumni derby that followed his team's game in Milwaukee, but he liked Murphy's idea about branching it out. "A big part of the beauty of our sport is how you remember those who played before, the history of our game and had success for your organization or those who made impacts throughout the league," McCullough said. "So anytime we get a chance to celebrate those who did meaningful things, I'm all for it." The trick in putting together an alumni home-run derby is finding the right participants. They must be old enough to have finished playing but remain young enough to still manage to hit batting-practice pitches out of a major league stadium. The Brewers didn't put up makeshift fences in the outfield for this event to make home runs easier, and the former players' swings weren't leaving the ballpark as often as when they were in the big leagues. McGehee believes future home run derby promotions could feature more power than what the ex-Brewers showcased last weekend. McGehee said he tried working on his swing before last week's event, but family obligations got in the way. If he gets another invitation, McGehee expects to be more prepared. "I think knowing what we know now, the product would probably even get better because we saw how cool that was," McGehee said. "I think people would be carving out pretty significant parts of their days to get themselves ready to roll." Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! share
NBC Sports
13 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Brewers' successful promotion could result in more alumni home-run derby events
With Jacob Misiorowski's grip on National League Rookie of the Year slipping, Trysta Krick and Vaughn Dalzell dissect the "fascinating" race between the Brewers' young arm and ascending Braves catcher Drake Baldwin. MILWAUKEE (AP) Maybe the Home Run Derby doesn't have to be limited to All-Star weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers had Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and several other former players competing in an alumni home run derby that followed a game with the Miami Marlins last month. The promotion helped draw a sellout crowd of 41,944 fans, with nearly all of them sticking around to watch the postgame event. Other clubs noticed, too. 'I thought it was a great idea and applaud them,' Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said. 'I believe all of us will be considering something similar.' Brewers manager Pat Murphy is among those already has been conjuring up ways to expand on this idea. 'I think it just opens the door,' Murphy said. 'Can you imagine the Brewers versus the Cubs home run derby - their three legends versus legends of ours. You know what I mean? Can you imagine that happening around the league?' The Brewers' home run derby occurred 11 days after Seattle's Cal Raleigh won Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby and 10 days after the All-Star Game was decided on a swing-off. With the game tied 6-6 after nine innings, three batters from each league took three swings and Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber homered three times to give the NL a 4-3 victory. Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said a half-dozen MLB teams reached out after their alumni home run derby to get information on how well it had worked. Milwaukee's promotion was part of a 25th-anniversary celebration of American Family Field. Keon Broxton, who played for the Brewers from 2016-18, won the event and recreated Fielder's most famous home-run celebration by standing tall at home while the teammates surrounding him fell back like a collection of bowling pins. 'It was awesome,' Broxton said afterward. Milwaukee wasn't the first team to do this kind of promotion. The Houston Astros staged their own alumni home run derby events in 2018 and 2019. The Atlanta Braves had an alumni softball home run derby last year. The format represents a different way to welcome back former players rather than having the traditional Old Timers' Day games from yesteryear. The New York Yankees are holding their first Old Timers' Day game since 2019 on Aug. 9, and the New York Mets are having an alumni game Sept. 13. But the Brewers' event last weekend generated plenty of national attention, particularly when highlights aired showing how the stands stayed packed throughout the event. 'The guys that were all here, we all said we'd be back for anything like that, whether it's something like what Murph suggested or even keeping it in house and playing a couple-inning game ... maybe guys from 2005-10 against guys from 2010-15,' said Casey McGehee, who played for the Brewers from 2009-11 and participated in the home run derby. 'I think there's a lot of opportunity for some really cool stuff to come from it.' Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said he didn't get a chance to watch the alumni derby that followed his team's game in Milwaukee, but he liked Murphy's idea about branching it out. 'A big part of the beauty of our sport is how you remember those who played before, the history of our game and had success for your organization or those who made impacts throughout the league,' McCullough said. 'So anytime we get a chance to celebrate those who did meaningful things, I'm all for it.' The trick in putting together an alumni home-run derby is finding the right participants. They must be old enough to have finished playing but remain young enough to still manage to hit batting-practice pitches out of a major league stadium. The Brewers didn't put up makeshift fences in the outfield for this event to make home runs easier, and the former players' swings weren't leaving the ballpark as often as when they were in the big leagues. McGehee believes future home run derby promotions could feature more power than what the ex-Brewers showcased last weekend. McGehee said he tried working on his swing before last week's event, but family obligations got in the way. If he gets another invitation, McGehee expects to be more prepared. 'I think knowing what we know now, the product would probably even get better because we saw how cool that was,' McGehee said. 'I think people would be carving out pretty significant parts of their days to get themselves ready to roll.'
