3 Padres who won’t be back if San Diego signs Dylan Cease long-term

1) Dylan Cease signing long-term would result in Michael King playing elsewhere after 2025

With Drew Thorpe headed to the White Sox in the Cease deal, Michael King is now clearly the most valuable piece left in San Diego from the Juan Soto trade.

The right-hander had established himself as an elite reliever but ended last season in the rotation for the Yankees. He'll begin this season in the Padres rotation looking to make his mark as a starter. If he pitches as well as he did to round out last season, he might be looking at a lot of money in his future.

Like Cease, King is slated to enter the free agency market after the 2025 campaign. That gives him two full seasons to prove himself as a starter. Assuming he does so, with his stuff and a lack of innings in his right arm, he might fetch a large deal. Since there's almost no way the Padres hold onto King and Cease while also paying Musgrove and Darvish, that could result in the team parting ways with King.

It's not ideal for the team to part with the best remaining piece of the Soto deal so soon, but if it means Cease can stay in San Diego long-term, that might be worth their while.