The Cubs are among the teams that have discussed right-hander Dylan Cease with the Padres, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. There’s no indication that the two sides are close to any sort of deal or that discussions were anything more than exploratory.
Cease, 29, has been bandied about the rumor mill for much of the winter as a payroll-crunched Padres club struggles to find ways to address myriad roster holes. A free agent following the 2025 season, Cease is slated to earn $13.75MM this year. Trading him for a controllable, lower-cost outfielder could affordably plug one lineup hole while also freeing up more than $13MM to backfill the rotation. Alternatively, the Friars could build a Cease deal around controllable, low-cost (and also less-proven) rotation pieces and look to reallocate Cease’s salary to a bat that’s yet to find a home in free agency or a trade target in the outfield. The Padres have at least gauged interest in impending free agents like Michael King, Luis Arraez and Robert Suarez (signed through 2027 but with an opt-out next offseason) under similar rationale.
The Cubs already have a deep rotation featuring Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd and Javier Assad. Free agent signee Colin Rea gives them a veteran sixth option, and Chicago has younger names like Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown and Caleb Kilian on the 40-man roster, with prospects Cade Horton and Brandon Birdsell climbing the minor league ladder.
Given that stock of arms, the Cubs don’t necessarily need another starting pitcher, but there’s an argument that some of that depth and their impressive stock of high-end position prospects could be condensed into a front-of-the-rotation arm like Cease. Morosi highlighted top outfield prospect Owen Caissie as a potential piece of a Cease trade in an on-air segment this morning, albeit in fairly speculative fashion.
Coupling Caissie or another touted outfielder like Kevin Alcantara with a controllable arm that lacks Cease’s ceiling but could be a third or fourth starter (e.g. Wicks, Assad) could hold some appeal to a Padres club that lacks rotation depth, a clear left fielder or designated hitter, and has a shaky-at-best collection of options to fill out manager Mike Shildt’s bench. Anecdotally, a trade involving Cease and Caissie would send each player back to their original organization; Cease was a sixth-round pick of the Cubs who was traded to the White Sox in exchange for Jose Quintana, while Caissie was a Padres second-rounder who went to the Cubs as part of the Yu Darvish trade.
Outfield is an area of depth for the Cubs, who have Ian Happ in left field, young Pete Crow-Armstrong in center and trade acquisition Kyle Tucker in right field. The acquisition of Tucker has pushed slugger Seiya Suzuki into a primary DH role, though he’ll surely still see some corner time depending on injuries or off-days for other members of the outfield. Tucker is a free agent at season’s end, but Happ and Suzuki are both signed through 2026 while Crow-Armstrong can be controlled all the way through 2030. Both Caissie and Alcantara are generally viewed as MLB-ready pieces who could step into the majors as soon as this season after posting big seasons in the upper minors in 2024. (Alcantara made a brief MLB debut late in ’24 already.) Infielder and fellow top prospect James Triantos also got a bit of work in the outfield in 2024. He’s on the cusp of his MLB debut as well.
The circumstances surrounding a potential trade of Cease are fairly similar to those of Corbin Burnes one year ago. While Cease has had a bit more volatility in terms of year-over-year results and doesn’t have a Cy Young Award to his credit, he’s a top-end starter with a relatively reasonable salary and one season of club control remaining. He’s unlikely to sign an extension, as was the case with Burnes, but could net a new team a draft pick if and when he rejects a qualifying offer next winter. That holds some inherent value and helps to offset the prospect loss required to pry Cease loose in a trade. The Orioles sent two MLB-ready players who’d garnered top-100 fanfare — infielder Joey Ortiz and lefty DL Hall — to the Brewers along with a 2024 competitive balance draft pick (No. 34 overall).
That was a steep price to pay, and perhaps Cease’s value isn’t quite to that same level, but it shouldn’t be far off. At the very least, it provides a rough blueprint for what San Diego could reasonably seek in exchange for a power-armed 29-year-old who landed second in 2022 American League Cy Young voting.
Payroll-wise, the Cubs have more than enough space to add Cease’s salary while still remaining comfortably south of the $241MM luxury threshold and leaving space for in-season acquisitions. RosterResource projects Chicago at a bit more than $207MM in luxury obligations after their recent acquisition of Ryan Pressly, giving them about $34MM of cushion between their current standing and that tax barrier.
NL Central Title is on the menu ladies and gents
No doubt. Just head a bit North to Milwaukee to get served.
I’m a Cubs fan but that was a good zinger, well done
Yup! Wrigley North. The only time the Bob Ueckers sell out ever is when the Cubs visit Wrigley North. The same can be said about Wrigley West aka Coors Field. Fun fact: The Rockies raise the prices of their tall boys a dollar only when the Cubs visit.
At Wrigley we fly World Series Champs flags not nl central flags
The Cubs are looking to be significantly better than last year. Perhaps as much as 5 games. Do you believe that the Brewers are likely to be as good as last year?
Amen
Only took mlbtr 3 hours to post yet another article about Cease trade as a rumor. Will they? Wont they?…..3 hours later. Will they? Won’t they? Tomorrow am: will they, wont they? next week: will they? won’t they? Let’s do another poll
@brew this deep into the off-season and it feels like I’ve read some of the paragraphs a couple of dozen times already.
That’s a compliment to the Cardinals ya know..
Have discussed doesn’t mean much.
They had him, traded him for crap and will now give up something from the over rated farm system, So, still crap.
Trade the farm and keep him for one year too! No way they would resign him in 2026
Go Jed gooooo. Go Jed gooooo. Hey Chicago whaddaya say, if Dylan Cease was headed your way?
Brown, Assad, and Caissie!
Not a bad move for the Cubs. Good fit between club’s needs and player profile. Also could be a very good candidate for a quickie extension on his new team.
Good old fashion trade and extend.
Just what are the Cubbies up to this year? They’re seemingly looking to whip up a One-Year-Wonder-100-win-team again to simply dismantle it and lose 100 games the next 4 years…
dougjay: That would give the city of Chicago over 200+ losses a season. At this point, doable.
200 already happened in 2024.
Hoyer is going to lose his job if he doesn’t make the playoffs. This off-season definitely has little long term planning . Trading one of Alcantara or Caissie makes sense if you extend Tucker otherwise it’s pretty stupid.
You trade one of them and the other one can replace Tucker. Can’t play them all. And then they could sign Cease long term.
Nope. Keep Caissie and Alcantara. Tucker extension is fantasy. Caissie can play RF and slots in for Tucker. Suzuki is only signed through 2026 and Alcantara can play CF (if PCA falters or is injured) and Ballesteros can DH.
I think that takes Cubs out of the running for King or Cease. Open to offering Assad, Wicks, Killian, maybe Brown. Not open to trading Caissie, Alcantara, Horton, Triantos and Ballesteros.
Cubs can sign Flaherty or (less likely) Scherzer as a free agent if they want to add a starting pitcher. They already have Steele, Shota, Boyd, Taillon, Assad and Rea, with Horton, Brown and Wicks possibly available in the second half.
I’m not sure that Cubs need to do anything at this point, they are in position to compete for the division without having gutted the farm. I only liked the Cam Smith deal to rent Kyle Tucker because 3B was already a position of strength with Matt Shaw ready.
@dougjay:The Cubs have lost 100 games only twice in the last SIXTY years. The most recent being 12 years ago. Keep it just a skosh real.
Cubs lost 80+, white Sox lost 120+
its called Jed’s contract year.
Padres need to move Suarez before they look at King or Cease. Suarez off the books saves you MORE than King for 2025 and you have Adam or Estrada who can step in and close games. Matsui may take a step forward and be an option at the back end too.
Don’t forget Peralta was a solid pen piece for years until last year, and could be a bounce back candidate.
Actually I think 2025 he’s still cheaper than Cease, but next year bumps to $16 million or so. Definately worth trading now though.
Next year Suarez if he opts in is paid 8m a year for two years…total of 16m.
I only said Suarez saves more than King, not Cease. Regardless, the Padres need both Cease and King more than Suarez for 2025. Whoever ends up with Suarez’s contract the next three years, at some point, will be upset they have it. He had arm issues in 2023, then in 2024 either couldn’t or wouldn’t throw his changeup.
The clowns who “own” the Padres right now should just be pushing all in for 2025 though. Sure they’ll exceed the CBT but after this year they get loads of payroll coming off. They could shed Arraez, Cease, King, Suarez if he opts out and Hosmer’s money (finally) comes off the books. Just suck it up, spend a few bucks on 2025 and don’t risk ruining your fan support. As it sits, these guys are going to see a significant setback in the perception of the team among fans.
Where’d they get Estrada from anyway? He’s lights out.
I think he came up with the Cubs shortly and they cut him.
That’s a lot of words spent on something “exploratory”
Cubs trade for Cease, then trade Taillon to the Orioles.
Everybody wins!
Orioles have no room for another starter. And they need their prospects so they can compete in 2030.
Sure we do, Kremer can move to the bullpen and work as a long/swingman to start the year and then slide back into the rotation when someone inevitably gets injured or pitches their way out of the rotation.
Easy peasy.
Put Kremer in the pen and that would devalue him and hurt the Orioles chances of getting a draft pick in a few years. Fat chance of that happening.
What are you even talking about?
Are you day drinking?
lol what??! Kremer in the pen hurts our draft pick? That’s some ridiculous stuff.
I don’t see any guarantee that Sugano is better than Kremer either. We gave him $13MM but he’s completely unproven and I’m highly skeptical of guys with very low K rates from foreign leagues.
I am optimistic about Sugano being able to adapt his deep repetoire to MLB hitters, especially with a smart, analytical FO like the Orioles have, but I don’t disagree that he could wind up a total bust.
He would definitely get first crack at a rotation spot over Kremer if another, obviously better SP was added though (i.e. Taillon).
Not brown plz!
Cease and Suarez for Horton and alcantara.
Not Horton. Definitely not him. Alcantara and a non ranked prospect would get it done. He’s a rental. It he was 26 and had 3 years of team control that might be worth it.
It wouldn’t be Horton and Alcantara. One of those guys and someone else.
Nah. Too much for one year contracts. Cease is a top 40 pitcher not a top 10.
CY – 2 and 4 in the last 3 years while getting MVP 22 votes.
Not a top 10 – whatever.
He was also terrible in 2023 so he’s not the sure thing other top sp tend to be.
You mean he was league average in 2023?
Top 4 on CY 2 out of 3 years – run that by whoever you think is a “Top 10” and see how many you find.
And then, look at the year that they didn’t make top 4 and see how that 3rd year went.
Then get back to us.
League average by what, ERA+? 4.58/1.42, a 2.71 k/bb, it’s not a good year. Which is fine, but can’t ignore that he’s capable of laying an egg.
Burnes didn’t have that kind of year in his three years before FA, so Cease shouldn’t command as much. Also, he was 4th in NL CY last year more because the better sp performances were in the AL. It was a good year, definitely, but not outstanding. 2022 was a much better year. And he did also get shelled in his playoff starts.
He’s just not on the level that Burnes was after 2023, basically bc of consistency.
I agree as to Burnes but still, they just 1 – not 40.
ANY pitcher is capable of laying an egg.
Cease’s 2023 was much better by FIP: 3.72 FIP vs. 4.58 ERA. Good for 3.6 fWAR, which uses FIP rather than ERA in its WAR calculation.
And there’s an easy possible explanation for some of that difference in ERA vs. FIP, because Cease was pitching in front of a White Sox team whose fielding ranked among the 5 worst teams in MLB (per both Statcast and DRS).
That’s all I heard from white Sox fans last year at this time.
Ma you are trying to use one season in which he was still in the top 10 in most categories but not in ERA to try to discount 2022, 2022, and 2024 when he was top 5 in most?
In his four full seasons from 2021-2024 including the 2023 season Cease was 5th in bWAR and 6th in fWAR. He was top ten in every major pitching category other than ERA. He played on one of the bottom 5 teams in defense each season prior to 2024, so that makes sense.
Swing, Cease was in the top 10 in nearly every category last year. FIP, SIERA, K%, K/BB, WHIP, IP, WAR. He was 20th in ERA.
But but what about 5 years ago?
Cease was in top 5 voting for Cy Young multiple times in the last 5 years…value is high.
2022 Cease was 2nd in Cy Young Voting
2024 Cease was 4th in Cy Young Voting
Plus his 2023 looked worse because the white Sox can’t field the ball. Not saying he was good that year but he wasn’t as bad as his era.
SD is desperately looking to shed payroll, so including anything other than an Alcantara and a bag of balls might be an overpay unless they kick in some for Cease’s salary..
So let’s look at the list of departing players:
Profar
Scott
Kim
Solano
Peralta
Higashioka
Now.you want to trade Cease or Kinog or both?
How much WAR can you lose as well as jettisoning fan favorites an expect fans to pay top dollar for tickets?
They’ve lost a rental, an injured player, a flyer that had a career year and three replaceable bench guys. The sky has definitely fallen
Out of that group Profar is the biggest missing piece. Though he just had a career year, in 2023 Profar was the worst player in the game. We picked him up on waivers then gave him 1m. So it’s fair to think he wasn’t worth that deal the Braves have him. I hope he does well as I like him but the padres weren’t giving him that contract even if they had a ton of extra money.
Two articles in one morning, tells me Ken Rosenthal must be in charge at this site,
This is the 8th article on rumored Cease trade since Saturday and yet: “There’s no indication that the two sides are close to any sort of deal or that discussions were anything more than exploratory” is the story
Trying to will it into existence
This happens with the media every year, whether the Pads are winning the offseason, or quiet. The opinion is that they will dissolve ASAP because well, SD is just too small a market to compete with the big boys.
Really don’t think this has much validity. Cubs probably just kicked the tires, at most.
Maybe but rumors about king and the cubs and now cease and the cubs.
Jed is under the gun to win. They could sign Flaherty but that’s a long term commitment.
Owen Caissie should absolutely not be traded back to San Diego. I’m okay with Kevin Alcantara and another low end Single A player going back. He’s a rental so Caissie would be a massive overpay.
Agreed. And I don’t think Alcantara or Cassie are MLB ready. Canario is out of options and probably the most ready. Could be looking at Canario and Assad, plus a lower level.
Canario and Assad?
Come on dude. You Cubs fans are delusional.
You’re right. That was delusional. Cubs would be overpaying, so no thanks.
I like assad, he can’t seem to go deep into games as he tends to build a high pitch count early.
But he gets guys out and if he can start getting ahead in more counts in the early innings and get through 6-7 innings instead of 4-5, he could be an all star caliber pitcher imo.
Personally I’d rather keep the prospects if that’s what it takes to get cease.
I think assad had a bright future.
You’re gonna have to part with
1 of Caissie, Ballesteros, Horton as the center piece and another mlb player
1 of Wick, Bowden, Killian
and possibly another lower level prospect like Jonathan Long.
Burnes netted the Brewers a 63rd overall prospect in Ortizz, a young controllable pitcher in Hall, and a 1st round draft pick.
So a deal for Cease will be similar in nature.
Not like the Cubs are the only one who’s expressed interested in Cease this off season with Twins, Orioles, and Rangers having known interest and other teams such as Red Sox and Tigers who’ve been looking to add to the rotation this off season. So lack of suitors isnt an issue for a pitcher making 14 million (well below marktet value) and who you can QO at end of season.
If that’s the case and they want ONKC. Then Friars can keep Cease.
Thats fine he will look better in a Twins, Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers, Orioles uniform anyways pitching in the AL.
Id rather have Vasquez, Keaschall, Morris, Lewis, and Eeles from the Twins for cease. Better prospects.
The Twins definitely aren’t trading Keaschall or Lewis for Cease. Morris could be the headliner. It’s also laughable that you’d rather have a 34 year old backup catcher with swiftly declining skills. I don’t know who Eelese is even referring to.
Keaschall for Cease is fair. Twins might not do it but thats very fair. Twins probably need to include a starter as well.
“my team isnt paying market rate for one of your best players, theyll pay less and youll like it!”
lol
Cease for Keaschall and Morris is a fair trade. Markets already been set for 1 year of an ace cy young caliber pitcher with 1 year of control when Brewers dealt Burnes.
Why would I want a defense first catcher who the twins are looking to off load his contract? Cause padres need a back up catcher and Lewis and Eeles would be the price to pay for Padres to take Vasquez and his 10 mill contract.
BA had him 63, MLB pipeline had him 99, and MLB is the “official” ranking. He was a low ceiling prospect and most i know think Milwaukee could have gotten more.
Cease is not the sp burnes was though, track record not as strong. But still a top 15 sp. I could see a top 75 prospect, one outside it w top 100 upside, and a decent MLB player.
Maybe Alcantara or Triantos, Wiggins, Busch… i dont see cubs giving that much for a rental though
mlb pipeline had him 63rd
99th… they keep the archive so you can look it up
63rd.
They also have archives of articles still posted to this day where mlb itself says he was the 63rd prospect at mlb pipeline at time of the deal.
Here you go
mlb.com/news/corbin-burnes-traded-to-orioles#:~:te….
“ On Thursday night, Baltimore swung a blockbuster deal, acquiring the right-handed Burnes in a trade with Milwaukee. In return, the O’s sent infielder Joey Ortiz (MLB Pipeline’s No. 63 overall prospect), left-hander DL Hall and a 2024 Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick to the Crew.”
Wanna try again?
OF Caissie
Wick LHP
Brown RHP or RHP Killian
Jonathan Long 1B/OF/3B
Cease is on the table a bidding war will surely begin.
Twins Red Sox Tigers Orioles Rangers could all throw their hat in to the mix
I think we posted our suggestions at the same time. Cassie and Wicks alone is pretty good i don’t think the Cubs would have to add anything else. That fills an extra roster spot and saves the Padres a lot of money.
Padres are serious about trading Cease theres plenty of teams that will drive up the price. Which is why I included 1 of Bowden or Killian and Jonathan Long. Cubs will have to up theit initial offer (minimum Caissie and Wicks) in a bidding war which will likely take place. Its a nice problem for the Padres to have but if cubs want to walk away with Cease, or whoever, youll have to have the best offer of the bunch.
Caissie is better than any prospect that would realistically be available from another team. There’s not going to be a bidding war for a 30 year old pitcher on an expiring contract who has Boras as his agent.
Kjerstad ranked higher than Caissie who could be the center piece of an Orioles deal given their OF depth after signing O Neil
Rosario ranks higher who could be center piece in a Texas deal
Tigers could offer Jung as the center piece who’s made their debut given their depth on the infield after signing Torres
Twins could make Keaschall available with both Rodriguez and Jenkins mlb ready to pair with Larnach Wallner who have a few years of team control themselves so not like Twins are hurting for OF options
Cassie and Wicks is probably fair. The Padres could use a lefty starter the Cubs certainly have one of those. Also Padres could use an outfielder.
I like the fit. If the Cubs had Cease to go with Tucker that’s a big upgrade.
Cubs get: King & Cease
Padres get: Caissie, Assad, Alcantara, and a low A player to be named later
Who says no?
One year of Tucker …one year of Cease..contend for a year and then it’s back to 75 wins again!!
“The circumstances surrounding a potential trade of Cease are fairly similar to those of Corbin Burnes one year ago.”
“One year ago” is vague—does it mean when Burnes was traded or when he was rumored to be available?
please make this happen just include alcantara
Trade simulator just so happens to have the Padres and Cubs both available as their free teams to view today. It says Cease is worth 33 million. Has Caissie at only 12 i think thats far too low but thats what it says.
I can understand the O’s interest in acquiring another starter. You can never have enough.
Look what happened to their staff last year. But I cannot see them trading for a pitcher that will be only another one year rental. So unless either Cease or King will agree to commit to staying in Baltimore, I don’t think it will happen. Especially if the Padres want the likes of Kjerstad or Mayo for them.
I can
One year rentals aren’t as expensive as guys that come with multiple years of control and by acquiring a 1 year rental they can QO him and if they leave orioles net an additional first and extra draft pool money with the extra draft pick.
For a team that’s built their success off draft picks and QO pick types it’s right up their alley
I just don’t get it.
You’d think when you back up the Brinks truck to sign Machado/Tatis/Xander/Darvish, etc etc etc, you would be happy to have relatively inexpensive arms like Cease and King. The window is always closing so just freakin go for it. I would hate to be a Padres fan.
The Padres have no good choices. The window is probably already closed. They can either trade soon to be free agents for long term help or let them walk and get a lot less help back.
The Padres were all in. They had a good run. Most exciting time in Padres history these last few years.
I’m starting to wonder if they’ll put Tatis on the block in the next year or so. He’d get a massive haul, and clear tons of salary.
If your SD you have to get Cassie back in a deal for cease, alcantara is toolsy but how often do those guys never pan out, Cassie can flat out hit, get him and one of the pitchers and another piece that helps the big league team, canario or similar
Cease needs to be in atlanta. Wake up aa bring cease home
Caissie is somewhat interesting, but the contact is terrible. Horton’s shoulder injury gives me pause. I’m not interested in Alcantara; toolsy-OF types as the primary return doesn’t excite me, especially because it would cut into Merrill’s value. Assad would be okay as a secondary piece. I would do Cease for Shaw straight-up, but I doubt the Cubs want to move on from their 2023 1st-rounder so soon. Cubs don’t match up great with the Padres’ needs.
The Cubs line up great with the Padres needs. And no clue what you are talking about with Caissie having a bad contract.
Reading is hard for some people. Contact and Contract are two different things.
I said, “contact”. I do not see a great fit; the Padres’ needs are SP, LF, utility IF, and bench depth (primarily lefties). If they’re subtracting from the first group (their greatest weakness), they’re going to need better solutions than what’s available internally or what can be had cheaply on the FA market. Yes, the Padres, are cash-strapped, but they can save $5M trading Cease mid-season, which might come close to covering the salary of a Cahna or Verdugo type. If Cubs wanna float Brown (or more), then yeah, I think it’s a good fit, but I don’t see them doing that either.
Yeah, Shaw straight up and the padres include suarez.
Otherwise its gonna have to be brown ++
Cassie and Alcantara are ok, but have rather obvious flaws. They can’t be headliners.
Cassie’s contact rate is a bit worrisome. Alcantara has a lot of upside but a lower floor.
Brown, Assad, wick would be of interest. My guess is one or two of them. Perhaps Alcantara since preller likes high toolsy players.
I could see next week something happening. Probably waits until after fan fest this week.
Yeah, I don’t think Shaw moves (nor do I think Padres would bundle Cease and Suarez), but he’s the closest I could get to the Burnes return. Cease and Burnes are exceptionally fair comps for a 1-year rental with Cease having a better “platform” year. I see Caissie and Alcantara as low-floor/high-ceiling types, whereas Ortiz is more like a mid-floor/low-ceiling… Padres would want someone they can plug in immediately. Otherwise, they’re back to square one in LF for 2025. Shaw looks like a total stud, though, so I can’t blame the Cubs for taking a wait-and-see approach.
I’m still not sure he trades anyone now. If the Padres are out of it come ASB, he can possibly flip two premier SPs at the deadline. I don’t know how the lawsuit clouds things, but the Padres held their trade chips in 21/23, so I’m doubtful there will be any changes unless it’s a Soto-esque deal to trim payroll and address multiple roster spots.
Alcantara seems like a low floor high ceiling guy to me. If the padres got back either him or Cassie my guess is they would be given the chance to start. Especially if they have a good Spring.
I really don’t think the cubs would have any interest in Suarez after signing Presley.
I would vastly prefer Caissie to Alcantara as a secondary or tertiary piece. The former seems like he could be a platoon LF/bench lefty as soon as next year. Alcantara has some loud tools, but he is very raw and only has one option left. It’d be better to take a chance on one of the vet outfielders floating around.
Hearing the padres asked for Shaw plus.
Hell yeah, shoot for the stars.
70% contact rate and 30% SO rate over the last 2 seasons.
Shaw, Assad. Brown, and Canario. Huge ask like the one from the Red Sox.
We heard about this in early December at the winter meetings from the same writer. The Cubs were one of many teams reported to have asked about Cease at the meetings.
Morosi was also the one that reported that the Padres were asking for Mayer, Abreu and two pitchers from the Red Sox for Cease at that time. All except Mayer were MLB players. The Cubs don’t match up well with the Padres asking for that kind of return.
Cubbies going all in after trading Bellinger. Good for them. The fans deserve it. Hopefully, Tucker is a long-term piece. If not, add him to the Dodgers Outfield next year.
If I had to guess I would say that Tucker will go to the Mets or Yankees.
Well Cease isn’t bringing back a top 10 baseball prospect ++ if that wasn’t obvious.
I’m not sure I’d want this either way. The Cubs have a lot of minor league talent that is just barely not ready for the majors, and trading away major league level players for another rental to completely buy in is something I don’t want to see right now. The Pads are also looking like they have one more shot at going for something big, and if Cease leaves they are, in all likelihood, not making another push, and that would suck so much energy out of the Padres’ fanbase. I wouldn’t make this deal.
San Diego ownership obviously doesn’t know what it wants from one year to year.
Possible trade proposal: Cease for Alcantara/Canario, and Wicks,. That feels fair to me.
Both caissie and alcantrara would welcome the trade because they’re both blocked here as it currently stands. However, hoyer lacks initiative and aggressiveness to get it done.
The wrong Cade Horton Baseball Reference page was linked.
It should be this one:
baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hor…
Wow why all the hate?
“payroll-crunched Padres“ – top 10 payroll just announced by ownership
“myriad roster holes” – we have space to add a veteran 1b/dh type and a backup outfielder, and thats about it.
“ lacks rotation depth” – 6 mlb quality starters including Cease, King, Darvish, Waldron, Vazquez, and Brito – all had +WAR in 2024. Look for a reliever to try to move in as well due to our stacked bullpen.
“shaky-at-best collection of options to fill out manager Mike Shildt’s bench” – wow, Wade, Brosseau, and Eguy Rosario might surprise you
#4 onward are not “mlb quality” starters. Those 3 are #5/6 guys at best. Padres clearly need at least 1 starter.
all were better than average in 2024 and can certainly get better. how can you say positive war players are not mlb quality?
Starters?
Waldron & Vasquez were the only 2 who started and had an 84 ERA+
I’d rather not pencil either one in my opening day rotation. Those are 2 guys who wind up getting starts when your top 5 hits the IL. Waldron was really really bad in the 2nd half.
I don’t love Waldron (who save the season with his 11 high quality starters but did fall of the second half) or Vasquez but they were two of the pitchers that battled for the 5th spot last year. They combined pitched a decent amount. The padres still won 93 games with them pitching as much as they did. So it’s not the end of the world if they pitch a decent amount again.
This is why a pitcher like cease is so valuable. The guy pitches every 5th day. That plus he is a good pitcher makes him very valuable to the padres.
positive war is above replacement level not above average, there’s a difference. the average mlb player war is about 2 (that’s just a quick google search so might not be completely accurate but should be close)
interesting, i thought replacement level was average, will have to read how they define replacement level.
I think it’s critical we find out about these guys this year, and make moves if its not working out. But, the difference in 1-2 era can easily be mitigated with a great bullpen.
I wonder how an era+ of 84 compares to #4-6 starters across the league.
Brito got sent down to start, but he looked like he had stuff.
Watch out Tyler. They don’t like Padres fans that speak common sense on here.
Reports are Preller asked for Shaw +
13 million being considered expensive for Dylan Cease is wild, man. Wild. What outfielder are you going to get that is going to match Ace production at anywhere near that price? Just… wow.
Anyone….i use this on a mobile device, and all of a sudden today, all sports went to desktop version and my button to switch back is now missing???!
Thank you in advance for any help. Blessings, Tom
Posted this on Mets article. It belongs here.
At dinner tonight we were trying to talk about anything except the legislative session we had just come out of and I brought up the rumor from earlier about the Cubs and Padres. One of the other attorneys said don’t be daft, look at the type of trades both of these POBOs have made the last year or two. They were big splashy deals. Think bigger. So I did.
Padres send the Cubs Cease and Jason Adam. Cubs rotation and bullpen are set. Among the best in the NL.
Cubs send the Padres Suzuki + $9-10 million, Assad, Brown, Aliendo who is a catching prospect that is close to the majors but blocked by Ballesteros, and a lottery ticket of your choice. Melendez? Cepeda? Padres get LF, backfill the rotation, get more depth at catcher, and a wish upon a star prospect. Padres spend about the same in 2025.
The Padres had been asking for Mayer, Abreu, Fitts, and Gonzalez from the Red Sox for Cease alone so this is in line with that proposal but involves the Cubs getting both Cease and Adam.
This helps both teams. Cubs trade Suzuki who is a poor defensive outfielder but very unhappy as DH. Cubs get an Ace. They also get a top setup man with 2 years of team control who also has closing experience. Both Assad and Brown would not have made rotation with Cease there and the 2025-2026 offseason has a huge number of good starting pitchers hitting free agency.
Interesting trade idea.
I don’t love the padres adding Adam’s. I agree he would fit the cubs but he really fits the padres. I’d rather swap Suarez for Adam but with Presley there that fit is probably gone. The padres don’t really shed a lot of money on this deal either. Perhaps if the cubs pay more down on Suzuki.
My guess is the padres if they trade cease won’t want to take on cash back.
Padres wouldn’t shed much if any payroll in that deal.
Judging from things their GM has said about having payroll flexibility and their actions so far this offseason, I see no evidence other than the insistence of the rumor mongers in the press that the Padres need or intend to make any moves that are focused on saving money and not only on improving the team on the field.
My judgement is that both Padres fans and members of the press are conditioned by decades of low budgets to think the Padres have to fall back to earth on payroll because they are a small market team not taking into account the evidence that belies that belief in that the Padres have been a revenue sharing paying team for the last 3 seasons. In other words, instead being one of the bottom 5 teams in revenue like they had been for the first 60 years of their existence, the Padres are now in the top half of MLB in revenue and are spending like it.
The Padres already have a good team with few holes and their moves this offseason are evidence of just how strong that they believe the team is. They addressed catcher in the same manner they have the last 4 years. They need a couple more veteran players for the bench. Another starter would be a luxury, not a necessity. With a rotation fronted by Cease, King, and Darvish their staff is stronger than the majority of teams and definitely stronger than it was coming into spring training last season.
Sorry, have to cut it short. Heading back into legislative session.