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It will be three years until the Athletics' stadium in Las Vegas will be ready for them to move in. Until then, they will play their home games not in Oakland, but in Sacramento. They will share their home stadium with the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. As they prepare to enter their first season in California's state capital, ownership has allowed GM David Forst to spend. He's signed starting pitcher Luis Severino to the biggest contract in franchise history and also traded for another starting pitcher in Jeffrey Springs.
The team must continue to spend in order to hit the salary floor. If they don't hit that mark, then they could open themselves up to grievances from the MLBPA, plus more potential trouble. So, finding a way to bring in more salary before the season starts would be a good idea. However, spending it in an unnecessary manner would be unwise.
Forst has already added to the starting rotation with Severino and Springs. He's addressed the bullpen with Jose Leclerc and Rule 5 draft pick Noah Murdock. He's also added Gio Urshela to play third base. Yet, it's clear that more talent is needed. The best way to add talent and salary? The trade market, of course.
Picking up the phone to call his counterpart with the San Diego Padres, A.J Preller, might be a good idea. The Padres possess an ace in Dylan Cease that is about to get a lot more expensive. Even though they only acquired him from the Chicago White Sox last offseason, the team is locked in an escalating ownership battle and is stuck in salary purgatory. After a successful 2024 in which they got back to the playoffs, San Diego might have to sell to appease ownership. Would a trade of Cease to the Athletics help both teams? At this point, what else do they have to lose?
Athletics need to start making next steps to contention
As it stands, Cease is scheduled to make $13.75 million this season. This is after an arbitration settlement with the Padres. Next offseason, he'll be an unrestricted free agent. Entering the market at age 30 isn't bad at all, especially since many pitchers have shown an ability to perform into their late 30s and early 40s. It's more uncommon nowadays, but it's possible that Cease will be in the majors for another eight to ten years. If that's the case, then wouldn't it be wise for the Athletics to try and make a move for him now?
There are a few reasons why it would make sense. First is obviously the salary. It would let the A's get closer to the salary floor and give them an ace level arm for below market price. That's good business right there. Furthermore, it would give them a deeper rotation by forcing Severino and Springs into lower spots, causing competition for the last two slots. That, in turn, should give the former Oakland Athletics a better group of starters heading into 2025.
Next, if they can convince Cease to commit to the franchise long-term, it would be a big win. Severino's $67 million is the most they've ever spent on a free agent. Cease, if healthy, will likely make at least three times as much. Would owner John Fisher break years of non-spending to further augment the club before they enter a new stadium in Sin City? It would be good for business, especially if the A's continue to improve this season and throughout their upcoming sojourn in Sacramento.
Lastly, snagging an arm to help in the late innings wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Jason Adam is set to make over four million, a number much too high for a team potentially wanting to cut payroll. By trading him along with Cease, the Padres would increase their return for sure. So, what would such a return look like?
What should Athletics give up for Dylan Cease?
A three to four player package centered around players who can contribute either right way or soon at the major league level would be preferred. After all, the Padres still have the talent to make it back to October, even without Cease. If they trade their ace, it needs to be worth their while, even as they try to reportedly shed salary.
Outfielder JJ Bleday has been mentioned before as a potential trade piece, and he'd be a great fit in the Padres' outfield. Left field is looking particularly worrisome, as the budget veteran duo of Jason Heyward and Connor Joe is currently slated to play there. If Bleday can build on last season, he'd be a great pickup for the Padres and would slide right into the starting lineup.
Starting pitcher J.T Ginn has a had a rocky tenure in the minors but has re-emerged as a viable big-league option. He could potentially fill the hole left in the rotation by Cease if he has a good spring. Corner infielder Tommy White could stay at third, but profiles better as a first baseman long term. The Padres could use that, and White does have a big bat that could earn him a quick trip to the majors. Lastly, Ryan Lasko is an outfield prospect that made a good rise through the Athletics' system last year and has a profile that fits what San Diego likes in its developmental prospects.
So, a big step forward for the A's as they move out of Oakland. A reconfiguration for the Padres as they look to get back to October. This is a deal that can work handsomely for both sides, particularly the Athletics. Pulling the trigger on it to see what will happen might give both teams a path back to fall glory.
