Dylan Cease is the newest name on the MLB trade block as the San Diego Padres continue their endless cycle of trading for star players only to shop them away before they hit free agency. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Padres are looking to flip Cease to help fill other roster needs.
Trading a pitcher with two months left under contract for legitimate MLB pieces is easier said than done. For the Padres to accomplish what they are reportedly looking for, they have to find suitors who are confident they can sign Cease to an extension past the 2025 campaign.
This does whittle down the market, as does the fact that the Padres are still looking to make a playoff push in the National League. Thus, if Cease is going to be traded and all parties are going to be happy, the Padres need to find an American League team in the market for starting pitching that is willing to extend Cease.
Several options come to mind.
Dylan Cease trade suitors the Padres must get on the phone with:
1. Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers have no problem spending money and have a void to fill in the starting rotation. Both Tyler Mahle and Jon Gray are on the 60-day IL, opening the door for Cease to join Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi atop the rotation.
Texas already has a fair amount of salary on the books in 2026 but it also has money freed up that could directly go to Cease. The injured trio of Mahle, Gary and Chris Martin are all free agents after the season and will free up a combined $35 million from the payroll.
There are no internal options that need to be re-signed, giving the Rangers the perfect amount to toss at Cease before free agency even begins. For Cease it's a no-brainer, he gets to play on a true contender in the American League without having to pay state income tax.
Kohl Drake is the most relevant name the Padres could acquire in a deal. The 25-year-old southpaw has a 2.93 ERA in the minors this season, and while he has struggled at AAA, could join the Padres' big-league rotation as early as this season.
2. Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are still in the mix for the American League Pennant and can push themselves over the top by adding an arm like Cease to the rotation. Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia are both on the 60-day IL while Lance McCullers Jr. is on the 15-day IL.
Javier and Garcia should both return in the second half and McCullers is simply dealing with a blister. While those returns will boost Houston's rotation, adding another arm to the mix for insurance would fortify the rotation as one of the best in the AL.
The Astros aren't known for breaking the bank, as evident by the team trading Kyle Tucker for prospects a year before a big pay day in free agency. However, with Framber Valdez also hiting free agency this offseason, the Astros could get ahead of it and ensure the team retains one top-line starting pitcher by trading for and extending Cease.
The one hurdle (which exists in any theoretical deal) is the talent the Padres would get back. Second baseman Brice Matthews is currently with the big-league squad out of necessity and could be included in a trade. Matthews is big-league ready and was the No. 68-ranked prospect heading into 2025.
Houston could even flip one of its starting pitchers back to the Padres to save money. McCullers has one more year left under contract and would give the Padres an arm to replace Cease now and in 2026.
3. Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are the hardest team to keep track of in MLB as one week they are sellers and the next week they are buyers. Might as well pull off a trade with their NL counterparts for a big-name starting pitcher.
If the Red Sox want to capitalize on the sudden push fueled by their young bats then they should look to add another arm to the rotation. Garrett Crochet is an elite first option and having an overqualified No. 2 could make the Sox a dangerous team.
There is also an influx of big-league bats the Padres could tap into, making this a more intriguing destination in terms of trade return. With Masatake Yoshida healthy again, the Padres can take back one of the Boston bats to allow the Sox to continue giving playing time to Rowan Anthony.
As far as an extension goes, one may think the Red Sox wouldn't be interested based on how they handled the Mookie Betts situation. But with Rafael Devers now off the books, Boston suddenly has ample money to spend.