The San Diego Padres are poised to be one of the busiest teams at the MLB trade deadline. With less than a week to go, A.J. Preller and the front office will be busy working the phones.
But Preller and the Padres might be keeping some of their assets close to their chest at the deadline. According to Robert Murray of Fansided.com, Dylan Cease is a “long shot” to be traded by the end of the month.
“The Padres are also open to listening to inquiries on right-handed starter Dylan Cease,” Murray writes, “something they have done since the offseason. But a trade has been described by multiple sources as a long shot.”
San Diego could use help nearly everywhere on the roster, and while Cease could be a solid asset for the team to use in a deal to improve the roster, the chances of him being moved look slim.
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He has a 4.59 ERA this season and hasn’t been at his best. But, he’s still a great strikeout artist, with 144 strikeouts through 21 starts and 113.2 innings. He’s not the top pitcher on the market, but he’s drawing interest from teams around baseball.
Sean McAdam of Masslive.com reported that the Padres offered Cease, Ethan Salas, and another prospect for Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, but were quickly denied.
While there aren’t many players of Duran’s caliber on the market, the Padres’ offering Cease for him is a sign of what kind of player they are looking for in return for Cease. The team isn’t willing to settle for a prospect return for the 29-year-old starter.
If they are trading Cease at the deadline, it has to be for a player who can help this season, as the team is looking to compete. But if the Padres can’t find an MLB-ready talent and a team willing to trade him for Cease, then a deal is unlikely.
Cease has popped up in trade rumors lately, but this update from Murray indicates that the Padres aren’t expected to trade him.
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