Dylan Cease's first start post trade deadline has A.J. Preller looking like a genius

2025 has been a bumpy year for Dylan Cease in what is a contract year for the 29-year-old. The front office received strong interest from other teams, with phone calls coming in left and right in hopes of trading for Cease. But amid all the speculation and rumors, Cease ended up staying put at the deadline, and the decision to hold on to him might make A.J. Preller look like a genius down the road.

In his start on Sunday, Dylan Cease tossed a gem against the St. Louis Cardinals, going five innings with nine strikeouts in a game in which the Padres won 7–3. This gives a preview of what the starting staff could look like come playoff time.

Cease proves Padres right with lights-out first start since trade deadline

The rotation looks strong when healthy. Nick Pivetta has been an elite free-agent signing in his first year with the club, and Randy Vásquez has pitched well enough to be slated at the back of the rotation. If Dylan Cease can put up more outings like the one we saw yesterday, the rotation would rise to another level.Michael King is almost back from his stint on the 60-day IL, too, meaning everyone is getting healthy for a potential push for the division.

A healthy rotation of Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Dylan Cease, Randy Vásquez, and Yu Darvish/JP Sears would be a tough pill to swallow for opposing offenses. Not to mention that the starters now really only need to get through five innings before turning it over to what is now a five-headed monster in the bullpen.

On top of great pitching, the offense has seen a complete revampAdding bats like Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano, as well as an upgrade at catcher in Freddy Fermín, will only help complement a lineup full of superstars. The Padres are ready to seize October. The front office knew this, and now they all look incredibly smart.

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