Report: Astros among teams interested in Cubs' Taillon
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon is apparently garnering interest as the trade deadline looms.
The Houston Astros are among the teams to have expressed interest in acquiring the right-hander, sources told The Athletic's Chandler Rome, Ken Rosenthal, and Patrick Mooney.
The San Diego Padres also reportedly have Taillon on their radar.
A trio of AL East teams have also apparently checked in, with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees expressing interest in Taillon as well, sources told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
Houston has overcome a plethora of pitching injuries to build a one-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West division. Taillon - who is under contract through 2026 at $18 million annually - would fill both short-term and long-term needs in the club's starting rotation.
The Astros would likely look to offload the contract of reliever Rafael Montero in any Taillon deal to stay below the second luxury-tax threshold, according to Rome, Rosenthal, and Mooney.
The Padres, meanwhile, currently occupy the final NL wild card and are evaluating all their options ahead of the deadline. Taillon would help solidify a rotation that is without a definitive fifth starter.
The 32-year-old is pitching to a 2.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 17 starts this season for a Cubs team that has fallen short of expectations.
The MLB trade deadline is Tuesday, July 30th at 6 p.m. ET.