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#3 Dylan Cease
The Astros have been connected to Dylan Cease for a while now, and coming off of a down season in Chicago, it's time to strike while the iron is hot.
Poor season or not, Cease still has the potential to be one of the most electric pitchers in the game. He is only one season removed from finishing runner-up to Justin Verlander in the 2022 Cy Young race after recording a 2.20 ERA.
Cease's 2023 was rather forgettable, posting a 4.58 ERA, but his 3.76 FIP show he wasn't as bad his his numbers showed. Getting Cease away from the White Sox dreadful defense and in front of a defense like the Astros could go a long way to improving his ERA, even before they make any tweaks to his arsenal.
Let's not forget Gerrit Cole was coming off of a 4.26 ERA with a 4.08 FIP in 2017 before the Astros traded for the future ace...
Cease would be costly. He'd cost both Urquidy and France, as well as Jake Meyers and multiple prospects, but the reward is well worth the risk. The Astros 1-3 would consist of three of the top-five finishers for the 2022 Cy Young.
Like Cole, Cease is represented by Boras Corp and comes with two years of team control. He wouldn't be a candidate for a long-term extension in Houston, but two years of Cease would make the Astros serious title contenders through 2025.