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MLB Rumors: Yankees selling, Braves-Cubs perfect trade, Astros dream trade

By Cody Williams

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 07: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Yankee Stadium on July 7, 2023 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 07: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Yankee Stadium on July 7, 2023 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /
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MLB Rumors, Houston Astros, Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JUNE 20: Dylan Cease #84 of the Chicago White Sox delivers a pitch against the Texas Rangers at Guaranteed Rate Field on June 20, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

MLB Rumors: Dylan Cease named Astros ‘dream’ target at deadline

The Houston Astros need pitching. This is not a shock to anyone paying attention to the defending World Series champions.

Lance McCullers Jr. ultimately won’t pitch this season after beginning the year on the IL and ultimately ending up needing season-ending surgery. Luis Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery after an early-year injury too. And Jose Urquidy has also been out for an extended period of time. Then you throw in a bullpen that could use upgrades and the trade deadline focus is pretty apparent.

One of the most commonly referenced trade partner for the Astros has been the Chicago White Sox, a team that appears sure to deal Lucas Giolito in the final year of his contract and that could also part with Lance Lynn to hit the reset button. But one insider has Houston aiming for an even bigger name from the White Sox: Dylan Cease.

MLB insider Jon Heyman reported on MLB.com’s Inside Corner that though the Astros could sniff around with Giolito or Lynn trades, that the club’s “dream acquisition” would be Cease, the AL Cy Young runner-up from a season ago.

It’s worth noting that Heyman previously reported for the New York Post that, while the White Sox are open for business, Cease is among a core four in Chicago that are not going to be moved. That’s obviously a bit of a hindrance, but also wholly understandable on the part of the Southsiders given that Cease is a Cy Young candidate under club control through 2025.

And really, it’s a situation where the Astros are likely to have to keep dreaming, even if the White Sox could be moved off of Cease. Houston was outside of the Top 20 of the preseason farm system rankings on MLB Pipeline. It would likely take a huge prospect haul for the White Sox to build for the future if they do blow up this current roster, and that’s something the Astros organization in its current state can’t offer.

With that said, a play for Giolito could still very much be in the cards.

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