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The San Diego Padres entered Sunday's action holding the final NL Wild Card spot. After a blistering start to the year, San Diego is in desperate need of offensive help at the trade deadline. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Padres could trade Dylan Cease at the MLB trade deadline, but only for a specific return.
“The Padres have been quietly shopping starter Dylan Cease for about a month for controllable players who can help them now – and also in the future,” Nightengale wrote.
The Padres picked up Cease from the Chicago White Sox before the 2024 season. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting with a 3.47 ERA in his first year in San Diego. Cease will be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Padres need offense. Flipping him to a team with the opposite problem would be wise.
Steven Kwan fills San Diego's Jurickson Profar-sized hole in left field, but the Cleveland Guardians won't want to take on a pending free agent. The Boston Red Sox could part with Jarren Duran, under team control through 2029, for Cease to help their rotation. It would help the Padres in left, but it opens up a hole in their rotation.
If the Padres must re-sign starter Michael King if they traded Cease. Even with Nick Pivetta's greatness this season, they would not have enough pitching depth moving forward. If that is an investment the front office is willing to make, this would be a smart trade.
The New York Mets are another team with a need for pitchers and the willingness to extend Cease. Veteran outfielder Starling Marte would help the Padres, and reports are out there that teams are asking about his availability. He does not have team control beyond this year, however, and is 36 years old.
