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.

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.

Last week, Buster Olney of ESPN reported the Padres were making Cease available in trade talks with rival teams. Joel Sherman of the New York Post subsequently identified six teams that have inquired about Cease: the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.