Proposed blockbuster trade for Cy Young candidate could make Astros AL favorite

The Astros have established one of the greatest baseball dynasties in quite some time. They made numerous ALCS appearances and dominated the AL West for years. Houston was able to consistently draft and develop elite players while making great offseason moves to supplement their core.

With the moves of Kyle Tucker and the expected departure of Alex Bregman, it seems like this era of Astros baseball is starting to fade. They are doing their best at extending that window, with the additions of Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes, but this is a vastly different team. While the Astros still have a solid young core of Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Paredes, and Hunter Brown, their window to win may not be much longer, placing a major emphasis on winning now.

Win now is exactly what Max Axisa of CBS Sports has in mind when he listed the Houston Astros as a potential fit for a former Cy Young candidate.

A trade that would send Dylan Cease to the Astros, making them the AL favorites

With the Astros starting rotation anchored by Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown, they have the makings of a solid unit. After those two there are guys like Ronel Blanco, Spencer Arrighetti, and the hopeful returns of JP France and Lance McCullers Jr. that will look to round out the rotation.

What if, though, they really wanted to go for it? What if, they made a bold move to acquire another ace in Dylan Cease? With the Padres looking to clear money, Cease could available.

Acquiring Cease would likely require Houston part with their new top prospect, Cam Smith. It would be a hefty price to pay, but Cease has been one of the best pitchers in the league and would give Houston another frontline starter to roll a trio of Valdez, Cease and Brown into any postseason series.

Cease's 2024 season was one of the best of his career. Finishing fourth in Cy Young voting, he threw 189.1 innings with a 3.47 ERA and a 10.6 K/9. He has averaged just over 183 innings over the last three years, giving Houston a workhorse for a rotation that cycled through a number of arms last year.

This might be a farfetched deal, but one that would put Houston squarely on the map as the AL favorites and World Series contenders.