Chicago Cubs Rumors: Houston Astros latest team to emerge for Jameson Taillon

While Jameson Taillon is not among the Chicago Cubs probably starting pitchers for their weekend series against the Kansas City Royals, he is currently penciled in to be on the mound for the team's game against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.

As of this writing, it would seem unlikely that Taillon makes that start.

With the Cubs set to be sellers at the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline on Tuesday, Taillon is the biggest trade chip that the North Siders will likely move. A pair of American League East teams have already expressed interest in Taillon with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees keeping tabs on the Cubs' veteran but a new suitor has emerged.

Interest in Jameson Taillon is picking up.

The Athletic's baseball insiders (Subscription Required) report that Houston Astros also have an interest in Taillon ahead of the deadline. The Cubs and Astros almost connected on a deadline deal two years ago in a deal that would have sent Willson Contreras to Houston for José Urquidy but the deal was nixed at the last second.

Of the teams who have an interest in Taillon, the Cubs may want to stay away from the Astros. In terms of having pieces that are capable of being ready for the Major League level upon being acquired or at the start of the 2025 season, the Cubs would be wise to stick with one of the American League East teams--specifically, the Orioles.

Along those lines, the idea of the Cubs moving Taillon has taken on the impression that it will be the sequel to the Yu Darvish trade in 2020. The circumstances are not the same. The Cubs are not moving Taillon for the mere purpose of clearing salary. The Cubs are moving Taillon because the health of the starting pitching throughout the organization allows the Cubs the chance to move Taillon in order to address an area of weakness. But again, how the Cubs address that area of weakness will need to be with an immediate solution, not one that isn't set to arrive for another four years.