Padres Appear Ready to Move On From Key Free Agent, Per Latest Report

In 47 innings pitched, Cease has recorded a 4.60 ERA and 1.1 WAR. He has experienced an inconsistent season thus far, showcasing some outstanding, dominant starts that leave batters guessing, alongside other outings where his persistent control issues have led to too many baserunners.

His stuff has always been amazing since he first broke into the majors, and he has a nice mix of pitches as well. Easily, his best pitch is the slider, which is one of the best in baseball and has been firing on all cylinders for the most part this season.

If he can gain control of his fastball and master his knuckle curve, he could earn a lot of money for himself.

He plans to enter the market at age 29 and should command a hefty price tag, though his flashy style will likely make him more expensive than King, who does not have the high performances Cease does but has been much more consistent from game to game and season to season.

ESPN's Jeff Passan projects Cease to get a five-year deal for more than $100 million, though less than $200 million.

There should still be time for Cease to potentially unlock the $200 million payday if he can reduce the walks while maintaining his performance at a high level.

His expected ERA is 3.69, a full rung lower than what he currently has, meaning some regression should be baked into his own numbers now, and it could fall even further if he limits the action on the base paths.

What is clear is that the race to determine whom the Padres keep is open, although King has taken an early lead over Cease to secure San Diego's funding.

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