MLB Insider: What I’m hearing on Astros-Blake Snell, Dylan Cease, Blue Jays, Tommy Pham, Padres

The San Diego Padres had long been interested in pitcher Dylan Cease before acquiring the right-hander earlier this week, with the two sides having consistent dialogue for most of the offseason.

Really, Cease presented much of what Padres executive A.J. Preller desires: a young (he’s 28), controllable (he’s signed through 2025) and affordable arm ($8 million salary) who will immediately slot atop the rotation with Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish. But the White Sox were insistent on waiting for the right trade package, and were prepared to wait until potentially the trade deadline to move Cease.

According to sources familiar with the negotiations, trade talks involving Cease heated up early this week. By Tuesday night, one source said, “Cease is getting traded soon. Within the next 24-48 hours.”

White Sox general manager Chris Getz continued conversations the next day with the Padres and other teams. By Wednesday night, the Padres had agreed to acquire Cease from the White Sox in exchange for right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte and outfielder Samuel Zavala and reliever Steven Wilson.

With Cease in San Diego, the White Sox have a void in the rotation. One possibility is free-agent right-hander Mike Clevinger, who was with Chicago last season. The team is also intrigued by Mike Soroka and Garrett Crochet, who has added almost two mph to his fastball since last season.

Justin Wilson

Free-agent reliever Justin Wilson reached an agreement on a major-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds, as FanSided first reported. The deal pays Wilson $1.5 million with $1 million in incentives.

Wilson, 36, recently opted out of a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After impressing in camp, Wilson drew serious interest from five teams. But his familiarity with the Reds – he pitched two seasons in Cincinnati from 2021-2022 – and his belief in the roster and manager David Bell was what led Wilson to sign with Cincinnati.

The Reds, meanwhile, were impressed with Wilson’s performance this spring and were intrigued by the slider that he recently added to his repertoire.

Houston Astros and Blake Snell

The Houston Astros have been monitoring the starting pitching market. And with right-hander Jose Urquidy pulling himself from a minor-league game with a sore elbow, that need becomes even more glaring.

If Urquidy is not ready for Opening Day, the Astros’ rotation would consist of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, J.P. France and Ronel Blanco. Justin Verlander is recovering from a shoulder injury that will result in the right-hander missing Opening Day. Both Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia are recovering from elbow surgeries and aren’t expected to return until after the All-Star break.

Astros owner Jim Crane has coveted free-agent pitcher Blake Snell in the past, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic ($), with general manager Dana Brown saying: As long as Snell is on the market, we check in to ask what is the latest. Nothing new as of now.”

But given Crane’s affinity with Snell, and the Astros’ need for arms in the rotation, perhaps that could put Crane and the Astros in play for the free-agent left-hander.

Tommy Pham

Free-agent outfielder Tommy Pham drew interest from the Pittsburgh Pirates before the team signed Michael A. Taylor, sources say. The Pirates, who were aggressively pursuing an outfielder, also expressed interest in Adam Duvall before he signed with the Atlanta Braves.

The Padres are among the teams to express interest in Pham. The 36-year-old is -old is coming off a season in which he hit .256/.328/.446 with 16 home runs, 68 RBI and 22 stolen bases with the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Multiple rival agents and executives have noted that Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s contract with the Toronto Blue Jays – two years, $15 million – is perhaps the best for a player this offseason. Kiner-Falefa’s salary in 2024 is $7.5 million, which is only $500,000 less than Tim Anderson, Gio Urshela and Amed Rosario’s salaries this season combined.