Cease could just be a half-year rental because of all the starting pitchers on Houston's injured list. The Astros have a full rotation sidelined. Lance McCullers, Luis Garcia, Ronel Blanco, Spencer Arrighetti, Cristian Javier and J.P. France are all on the injured list.

The San Diego Padres' Dylan Cease was on the Houston Astros' trade radar before hearing about the asking price for the All-Star pitcher.

Adding Sandy Alcantara to the rotation ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline would be huge for the Astros. Houston is already one of the better teams in baseball this season, and a move like this could put the team over the top as the postseason nears.