Houston Astros Trade Rumors: 3 starting pitchers GM Dana Brown could target

The Houston Astros seemed done and dusted in the race for the AL West pennant when the Texas Rangers opened up a 6.5-game lead atop the division by mid-June.

To their credit, the Astros never gave up. After beating the Rangers 4-3 on Tuesday night, they are now only one game away from the summit.

Injuries haven’t been kind to Dusty Baker’s side. Two months into the season, the Astros lost three-fifths of their starting rotation.

Lance McCullers Jr. suffered a setback with his elbow that has ruled him out for the season, Luis Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery and Jose Urquidy has been out since April. However, Urquidy is expected to return soon, possibly in early August.

The injuries have certainly taken a toll on their rotation. Since June 22, the Astros' starting pitchers rank 22nd in ERA (4.91).

With August 1 fast approaching, Dana Brown needs to make some key decisions in what would be his first trade deadline as a GM. They will certainly be looking to make additions and a new starter will go a long way in bolstering their their pennant and postseason ambitions.

Three aces the Houston Astros could turn to before the trade deadline:

#1) Dylan Cease

Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease would be a “dream acquisition” for the Houston Astros, as previously described by MLB Insider Jon Heyman on MLB Network’s Inside Corner. However, potential obstacles in terms of cost and availability could arise.

The White Sox have little inclination to trade Cease. Regarded as a strong contender for the Cy Young award at the beginning of the season, Cease remains a valuable asset for the organization.

Nonetheless, the Astros are expected to try at least. Despite his challenging start to the season. Cease’s recent performances have been impressive, with a 3.00 ERA, a 33.2 percent strikeout rate, and an allowed batting average of .224 over the last nine starts.

#2) Eduardo Rodriguez

Detroit Tigers southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez is having an exceptional season and is currently a strong candidate to be traded this month. The 30-year-old player has attracted interest from various teams, including the Astros.

Throughout the season, Rodriguez has demonstrated his prowess with an impressive 6-5 record across 14 games, covering 83.2 innings on the mound. Notably, he boasts an outstanding 2.69 ERA, striking out 88 batters while maintaining an excellent 0.97 WHIP.

#3) Marcus Stroman

If the Houston Astros can’t land any of the above two names, they’ll likely turn their attention to Chicago Cubs starter Marcus Stroman.

The Cubs aren’t having a great season overall. They are six games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central and five games back in the Wild Card race. It is expected that they are going to be sellers.

Notably, Stroman has one year left on his contract, but has the ability to opt-out and return to free agency after the current campaign. One can understand why the Cubs are interested in trading him by August 1 and the Astros may just come knocking.