MLB insider reveals reason Astros weren't able to trade for Dylan Cease

The Houston Astros crossed off nearly every need on their 2025 deadline shopping list, coming up short in just one area: adding a starting pitcher. However, it wasn't for lack of trying. Houston went hard after Padres starter Dylan Cease, but came up empty.

Now, a new report from an MLB insider sheds some light on exactly why the Astros weren't able to close a deal that at some points on deadline day looked like a foregone conclusion. John Heyman of the New York Post wrote that San Diego was seeking controllable starting pitchers in return for the ace, and that desire ramped up in the aftermath of their trade for catcher Freddy Fermin, which saw pitchers Ryan Berget and Stephen Kolek shipped out to the Kansas City Royals.

That move seemingly caused a pivot for San Diego, who decided that they could no longer part with Cease, an impending free agent.

MLB Insider reveals why Astros trade talks broke down in their quest to acquire Dylan Cease

Heyman's report adds further context to what we've learned from USA Today's Bob Nightengale, who reported after the deal stalled at the Padres' insistence that starter Spencer Arrighetti be included in addition to a package of three prospects in order to land Cease.

The subtext between these two reports is a bit different, however. Per Nightengale, it would appear it was the Astros who balked at the asking price, meanwhile Heyman's report makes it seem like it was the Padres who ultimately pulled Cease off the table.

Nonetheless, the Astros will be moving forward with their in-house options, which include Spencer Arrighetti and Cristian Javier being reinserted into the rotation after lengthy IL stints, and Luis Garcia's return not lagging too far behind either.

At the end of the day, Cease would have been a brand name addition, but how much better he would have made the Astros is an open question. With an ERA of 3.85 over his seven-year career, Cease has more seasons (four) with an ERA over 4.00 than he does with an ERA of 3.99 or better. If anything, 2022's 2.20 ERA performance which shot him into the national spotlight is the outlier here.

That means the disappointing 4.52 mark that he's posted this year shouldn't be all that surprising. As a rental, he should not have been a priority, and especially not at the cost of young, cost-controlled starters with upside.

Houston is already likely watching Framber Valdez bolt in free agency this offseason, and adding Cease, who would do the same, while thinning out its starting pitching depth, would have been a recipe for disaster, especially for a club that is trying to thread the needle between short-term contention and long-term viability.,

Sometimes, it's the trades you don't make that end up as the most impactful, and that appears to be the case here with the Astros' aborted pursuit of Cease.

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