The Toronto Blue Jays will be one of many teams looking for immediate upgrades at the 2025 MLB trade deadline after a quality run of form has vaulted them all the up to the top of the AL East. The latest rumors seem to suggest that the Blue Jays are looking to bring in a qualified relief pitcher who can help aid a substandard bullpen, but some rumors also suggest that they could pay over market value for another rental starter.
They’ve been connected with the Pirates on Mitch Keller, Dennis Santana and David Bednar as well as the Diamondbacks’ with Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly," said Jim Bowden of The Athletic. "They also could swing big and try to land either Michael King or Dylan Cease from the Padres in a contender-to-contender type of swap."
King seems like a pie-in-the-sky target. Cease could be had for a somewhat reasonable price, but would it be in Toronto's best interest to swing on yet another player who isn't guaranteed to be a part of the long-term puzzle.
Blue Jays need to avoid trade for Padres' Dylan Cease
The idea of what Cease could be could be more attractive than what he is right now. Cease's 2022 season with the Chicago White Sox, in which he compiled a 2.20 ERA, has not been replicated in either Chicago or San Diego. Despite that, Cease's nasty stuff will get any pitching coach enticed.
Cease has an ERA+ under 100 in two of the last three seasons and a 4.64 ERA in this campaign. The optimistic Cease fans will point to his 3.42 FIP over the last few years compared to his 4.15 ERA in that span, suggesting that he has been very unlucky in his tenure with San Diego.
Even if the Padres are willing to part with Cease, which may be unlikely for a team that is trying to contend, San Diego will likely insist on some of the top prospects from a Toronto farm system that has thinned out over the last few years. Cease is not good enough to warrant emptying the tank.
The Blue Jays have an opportunity to trade for more controllable players, especially after they have struck out when trying to spend money in free agency during the last few seasons. Adding Cease to the mix at the cost of some top prospects could be yet another expensive rental Toronto will regret.