The San Diego Padres pulled off not just the most shocking deal of this trade deadline but the most shocking deal in recent memory on Thursday morning, flipping No. 3 overall prospect Leo De Vries plus several other Minor League arms to the A's in exchange for closer Mason Miller and lefty JP Sears. It's an eye-watering price to pay for a reliever, and an incredible gamble on the part of Padres GM AJ Preller as he attempts to chase down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
There will be plenty to say in the days to come about why San Diego made this deal, what it means for the rest of this season and what it could cost Preller and his team moving forward. But in the meantime, the Padres' massive swing has opened up a golden opportunity for another team: the New York Yankees.
With Miller and Sears on board, Preller is reportedly shopping righty Dylan Cease and former closer Robert Suarez, hoping to use his new pitching surplus to patch holes at catcher and in the outfield. As it happens, those are places where the Yankees have talent to burn, and Brian Cashman needs to pounce and give his pitching staff the boost it sorely needs.
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Yankees need to pounce as Mason Miller trade makes Dylan Cease available
This deal checks a lot of boxes for both sides. The Yankees get another arm to lengthen their injury-ravaged rotation, as well as some depth that might make Cashman more comfortable flipping the likes of Will Warren or Cam Schlittler for bullpen help. Cease's top-line numbers are ugly so far this season, but he's been among the unluckiest pitchers in the sport, and his stuff is still as electric as ever.
San Diego, meanwhile, fills its two most pressing position player needs in one fell swoop. Escarra is a catcher the Padres were rumored to be interested in over the winter, an excellent fielder who figures to be at least average with the bat and fits well as the strong side of a platoon. A reunion with Grisham makes sense as well, given the black hole the team has been dealing with in left field (and the depth the Yankees have now after acquiring Austin Slater and Amed Rosario). Cunningham is a top-five prospect in New York's system who would help replenish the pitching coffers a bit after being hollowed out in the Miller trade.
Escarra and Grisham would be significant upgrades over what San Diego is currently running out at those spots, and they need all the prospect help they can get with De Vries moving on. If the price is too high on guys like Steven Kwan and Luis Robert Jr., especially with De Vries off the table, Grisham would be a solid fallback option and round out the lineup nicely. For Cashman, all pitching is good pitching, and acquiring Cease comes with more upside than fellow rentals like Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly.