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Red Sox Blockbuster Trade Idea Lands Padres $13 Million Superstar In 5-Player Swap
May 24, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres hats in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Will the Boston Red Sox hit the trade market one more time this winter?

After bringing in Garrett Crochet to help lead the pitching staff, it's clear that the Red Sox still view their starting rotation as iffy entering the 2025 season. Perhaps if they could add a righty ace to pair with Crochet at the top of the rotation, they'd feel more confident moving forward.

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the San Diego Padres are exploring the possibility of trading Dylan Cease this winter, as the 28-year-old righty is scheduled to hit free agency after the season, and is projected for a $13 million salary this season (via Spotrac).

Cease, who has two top-five Cy Young finishes in the last three seasons and owns one of the filthiest sliders in the sport, is an ideal target for the Red Sox. But how much will it cost to land him, considering they'd only have him under team control for one year, barring an extension?

It's not entirely clear what the Padres are looking for in exchange for Cease, but here's an approximation, using a combination of high-end prospects and farmhands who are relatively close to big-league ready:

Red Sox receive: SP Dylan Cease, RP Wandy Peralta

Padres receive: INF Franklin Arias, SP David Sandlin, OF Allan Castro

Arias, a slick-fielding shortstop, is the Red Sox's new number-four prospect and the No. 95 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB.com. Sandlin is a hard-throwing righty and Boston's number-eight prospect, while Castro reached Double-A at age 21 and is ranked 14th in the Boston system.

Peralta, meanwhile, is the perfect complimentary piece to throw in the deal for the Red Sox, as he's on a peculiar four-year contract that includes player options for 2025 (already accepted), 2026, and 2027. The Padres have two more trusted lefties returning to their bullpen and only used him in mop-up duty during the playoffs.

Is this deal guaranteed to happen in this exact form? Far from it. But it feels like a reasonable approximation of what the Padres might expect Boston or any team to send them in order to part with Cease.


This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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