The San Diego Padres have made the trade deadline a little more interesting with just eight days remaining.
The Padres are far from sellers. At 55-47, San Diego has a two-game lead for the third National League Wild Card spot and sit just four games back from the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West.
The team is talented, but there are a couple of glaring roster holes. It’s being reported that the Padres could trade a talented starting pitcher to address those holes.
“A surprise name has emerged in the starting pitcher market: Dylan Cease, who will be eligible for free agency at year's end,” ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote. “Perception of other teams is that the Padres are intent on making a push for the playoffs and would use Cease to help fill other roster needs. Mets, AL East teams, Cubs among teams that have talked about him.”
Cease, 29, isn’t having his best season but has shown flashes of excellence in several starts.
Cease is 3-10 with a 4.59 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in 21 starts this season.
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Cease has been one of Major League Baseball’s top strikeout pitchers since 2021. He has struck out at least 214 batters in each of the last four seasons and is on pace to strike out 223 this season.
In 2022, Cease finished second in American League Cy Young voting and finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting last season.
He is on an expiring contract, so it would make sense for San Diego to deal the veteran right-hander.
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