Astros are reigniting interest in player they failed to land the first time around

With the expectation remaining that Framber Valdez will be pitching elsewhere in 2026, the Houston Astros' priority this offseason will be upgrading their starting rotation. While a potential reunion with Justin Verlander feels like something Jim Crane will force upon the front office, FanSided's own Robert Murray believes that the Astros may circle back to a player they targeted at the MLB trade deadline.

The Astros nearly traded for Cease at the deadline, but were unwilling to part with Spencer Arrighetti as part of the package that would have been sent to the San Diego Padres. With Cease now a free agent, Murray is quick to suggest that the Astros could be at the forefront of his bidding.

"Cease’s free agency may not be as interesting as his trade deadline – many thought he was going to be traded to the Houston Astros – but it might not be far off," Murray wrote.

Astros might finally get Dylan Cease after falling short at the deadline

Cease's ERA in 2025 wasn't what fans have come to expect from a veteran, 4.55 in 32 starts, but he still proved more than capable of striking hitters out. For the fifth consecutive season, Cease had over 200+ strikeouts in a season.

While Cease's ERA has been the reason why some expect him to take a short-term deal this offseason with a high-AAV, Murray is of the belief that he will be paid like a frontline starting pitcher this offseason. Murray isn't the only one. Making some early contract predictions, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter suggested that Cease could see a contract worth $125MM over five years. For what it's worth, Reuter has Valdez getting $135MM for 5 years.

If $10MM is the difference between Cease and Valdez, chances are the Astros would rather run it back with the ace they have already at the top of their rotation. That said, for the same reason why Astros likely won't be brining back Valdez, the logic can be applied to Cease if he is indeed going to get paid like a top starting pitcher this offseason.

The Astros often avoid long-term deals for starting pitchers, and beyond that, their books would suggest it is tough for them to be an aggressive spender this offseason. That could force Dana Brown to turn to the trade market to address the team's need for a starting pitcher, but their farm system isn't what it once was.