Padres Predicted to Trade $13.75 Million Pitcher in Blockbuster Deadline Move

The San Diego Padres have a few more days to land some last-minute additions that can solve their problems in left field and at catcher. 

Dodgers Nation’s Noah Camras expects the Padres to be big-time buyers at the trade deadline, while also shedding some payroll to compensate for their limited budget. Camras said trading starting pitcher Dylan Cease will likely be the route San Diego takes to get more financial flexibility.

Cease is signed to a one-year, $13.75 million contract and will become a free agent at the end of the season. The right-hander would be a strong and cheap addition to a contender’s rotation.

Several teams are looking for reinforcements for their rotation, so Cease will certainly have a lot of interest on the trade market. He has posted a 4.59 ERA and ranks second in the NL with 144 strikeouts in 21 starts.

Cease has been at the center of several trade rumors since the offseason, but the Padres decided to keep him around. However, San Diego is closing in on the struggling Dodgers in the National League West and are 1.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants for the final NL Wild Card spot.

Therefore, the Padres will likely make some big moves at the deadline that they hope will push them through the second half of the season. 

Camras said Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran seems like the Padres’ top trade target. The 2024 NL All-Star is slashing .254/.321/.428 in 102 games this season, offering San Diego another strong bat and a solid left fielder.

Cease and some of the Padres' prospects could be traded to the Red Sox for Duran.

The Padres have also been on the hunt for an upgrade at catcher. Camras believes that rather than trading for a new catcher, San Diego will seek out a reliable bench bat that can pinch-hit for Martin Maldonado and Elias Díaz when needed.

The Padres have expressed they are hungry for a deep run into the postseason after their devastating elimination in the NL Division Series to the Dodgers last year. Trading Cease will allow San Diego to acquire those missing pieces they will need for the second half of the season.

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