Padres Insider Thinks Dylan Cease Could Be Traded Ahead of Deadline

Dylan Cease has been rumored to be a trade option for the San Diego Padres since the offseason.

But with the injuries of starting pitchers Michael King and Yu Darvish, the Padres need the right-hander for their rotation. 

San Diego is expecting King and Darvish to be healthy by the trade deadline, which Padres’ insider AJ Cassavell believes would make a trade involving Cease a possibility 

Both Cease and King will be free agents at the end of the season. Cassavell suggested the Padres could trade Cease for a “mid-rotation arm at a cheaper price”.

The Padres signed Cease to a one-year, $13.75 million contract in January to avoid arbitration. 

San Diego initially acquired Cease through a last minute trade with the Chicago White Sox in March 2024. The Padres gave the White Sox outfielder Samuel Zavala and right-handed pitchers Drew Thorpe, Steven Wilson and Jairo Iriarte.

Since adding Cease to their rotation, the 29-year-old has been crucial for the Padres on the mound. 

He shined in his first season in San Diego, as he threw the second no-hitter in franchise history in July. Cease quickly became a fan favorite, earning his own mural in San Diego. 

Cease held a 14-11 record while logging a 3.74 ERA and 224 strikeouts across a career-high 189.1 innings last season. 

But Cease has not pitched to the same caliber this season, accruing a 4.28 ERA through his first 14 starts of 2025. The right-hander noted a lack of a rhythm with his mechanics as his main issue. 

His struggles on the mound seemed to have started during the National League Division Series in 2024. He made two starts where he gave up 10 hits and eight runs to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five innings. 

Although Cease seemed to struggle in the postseason, he redeemed himself against the Dodgers during his start in Tuesday’s game.

Cease struck out 11 Los Angeles batters and only allowed three hits across seven scoreless innings to mark his best outing of the season. 

And unlike many starting pitchers, Cease has managed to stay healthy, throwing in at least 165 innings in each of the last four seasons.

Cease would be a valuable addition to a rotation, so it would not be surprising to see the Padres cash in on him before he becomes a free agent if they feel they can find a more cost-effective option.

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