Padres reinforcements signal potential deadline pivot from their ace

It's time to have a conversation. With a 3-7 record and a 4.53 ERA, Dylan Cease has not been the foundational piece in the Padres rotation that we had hoped for. It may be time to cut our losses and trade Cease at the deadline to help bolster our farm system. Currently, the Padres have only two prospects in MLB's Top 100 (SS Leo De Vries No. 3 and C Ethan Salas No. 24 24), and with Cease underperforming, this is a pivotal moment of opportunity for the front office to capitalize on.

In years past, the Padres have been one word around the trade deadline, and that is AGGRESSIVE. GM AJ Preller's inclination to mortgage prospects in the effort to bring San Diego its first World Series championship in history is what most of us love about him, and that doesn't change with this proposed maneuver. We are in a unique position where we can rid ourselves of an impending FA high-caliber arm while keeping our playoff aspirations at the forefront. Why is that the case? Currently we have two key arms that are not on the playing field, and those are RHP Michael King and RHP Yu Darvish. When available, they will be able to shoulder the load of a ceaseless Padres rotation.

And let's be frank, the front office hasn't always handled these decisions in the most efficient way possible. If we call back to 2023, which happened to be one of the most disappointing years in Padres history, LHP Blake Snell and closer Josh Hader were names that were hot on the trade market. Ultimately, Preller stayed put, and the Padres missed the playoffs entirely. Then in the offseason, Snell signed with the Giants and Hader signed with the Astros anyway. In short, we need to continue building our future while maintaining our competitive status in the National League. We simply can't go 'all in' every single year and expect to be consistently competing for the World Series. Particularly in this circumstance where Cease is struggling and a change of scenery looks beneficial for both parties.

As it stands, the Padres are 45-38 and one game back of the last wild card slot, which currently is the St. Louis Cardinals. Not anywhere near crisis mode, but it's time to start thinking differently than we have in recent deadlines. At this rate we have the ability to be buyers and sellers at this year's deadline. A lot can change in the month of July one way or the other, but in terms of the Padres payroll in '26 and beyond, Friars fans are looking for the front office to show some savvy this time around, and trading Cease would be a tremendous start.