MLB Insider Reveals Chances Padres Trade Dylan Cease at Deadline

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease is out of contract at the end of the year and has already been offered to the Boston Red Sox for Jarren Duran, but ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel give the Cy Young contender just a 25 percent chance to get dealt at the trade deadline.

"Another late entry to the proceedings, Cease is throwing as hard as he did in his prime and is here more as a function of the Padres not having payroll flexibility or a deep minor league system than some sort of desire to deal him," Passan and McDaniel write. "As an impending free agent, he wouldn't bring back nearly the haul of Ryan or Gore. And there are genuine questions about whether the holes the Padres would try to fill by moving Cease would only be exacerbated on the starting-pitching side were he to go."

In a gritty NL Wild Card race, the Padres are one game ahead of the San Francisco Giants and are likely to make some moves at the deadline to strengthen their roster. While they usually opt to send out prospects for big talents, they could also unload some of their bigger contracts such as Cease to add a few bats to their lineup.

While not likely to trade the right-hander, if the right offer crossed their table for Cease it would be difficult for the Padres to completely ignore it.

The Padres are heading into a crucial series against the New York Mets on Monday, and will try to keep the momentum from two straight wins going into their series against the NL East leaders.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.