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The Houston Astros have reportedly shifted their focus from San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease to Miami Marlins hurler Sandy Alcantara. Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that trade talks between the Astros and Padres have cooled, and Houston is now focused on trading for the former Cy Young Award-winner.
This would be a tremendous get for Dana Brown and the Astros front office. Though many Astros fans have been begging for Brown and Co. to target a left-handed bat at this year's deadline, it's doubtful that anyone in Houston would complain if the team was able to bring Alcantara to town.
A frontline rotation of Alcantara, Hunter Brown, and Framber Valdez would be as imposing a starting rotation as any team in the American League, and would give the Astros a huge advantage in the postseason.
Astros Rumors: Houston eyes Marlins' pitcher Sandy Alcantara after trade talks for Padres' starter Dylan Cease collapse
Alcantara does come with some question marks, however. The right-hander missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and hasn't had the best season down in South Beach. Alcantara is 6-9 with a 6.36 ERA in 21 starts for the Marlins this season. Nevertheless, there's reason for optimism after watching Alcantara allow just one run over 12 innings during his previous two starts.
The Astros face quite the conundrum as the 5 p.m. CT deadline approaches. Despite trading for Baltimore Orioles third baseman Ramon Urias — who'll presumably take over for the injured Isaac Paredes at third base — Houston is still lacking a left-handed bat. Do the Astros have the prospect capital to upgrade both the lineup and the rotation?
While Nightengale is reporting that talks between Houston and San Diego have cooled, they haven't yet been extinguished. There's always the chance that the Astros and Padres could reengage in talks for Cease, but San Diego's front office has shifted their focus to A's reliever Mason Miller.
Buckle up, Astros fans. There's a little less than 12 hours before the trade deadline passes, and it sounds like Houston is gearing up for hectic push before the clock hits zero.