Sep 24, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) delivers during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Padres' Dylan Cease Addresses Potentially Leaving San Diego in Free Agency

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Aaron Coloma | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 12:30 PM ET

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease commented on his upcoming free agency after the Padres' postseason loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Cease has spent the last two seasons with the Padres after arriving before the 2024 season from the Chicago White Sox, and has had a fairly inconsistent time during his tenure during his time in San Diego. He has made 65 starts for the Padres, posting a 3.98 ERA during his time with the team.

His first season with the Padres went very well, posting a 3.47 ERA through a league-leading 33 starts, and placing him fourth in NL Cy Young voting. This season hasn't been quite as successful, as he had a 4.55 ERA through 32 starts for the team. Despite his woes this season, however, he has maintained his extraordinary strikeout rate, and leads MLB with 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Cease has surpassed 200 strikeouts in each of the last five MLB seasons, and has managed to stay healthy throughout those seasons as well.

“I love San Diego a lot,” Cease said. “I really haven’t thought too much about [free agency]. It’s a special organization. I think it’s the most unique setup. You have an entire city -- and it’s a big city -- and it’s just a baseball city. The fans treat us extremely well. We sell out every game. It’s been a really, really cool experience.”

Although he was fairly inconsistent in 2025, he switched on towards the end of the season, and carried his momentum into the postseason. He posted his third scoreless start of the season in Game 2 against the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card series, healping the Padres on their way to a 3-0 win.

Unlike teammates Robert Suarez and Michael King, Cease doesn't have an option in his contract, and will definitely test the free agency market in the upcoming season. Spotrac values him at a six-year, $158.5 million contract, which he could very well get with his track record in the majors.

With Cease's likely departure during the offseason, the Padres are in for a complete rotation revamp pending King's decision in free agency. The pool of starting pitchers in free agency is deep, and it will definitely be the first need the Padres set out to address due to their depth elsewhere on the diamond.