Padres Rumors: Biggest trade suitor yet emerges in Dylan Cease buzz

As Dylan Cease rumors continue to circulate in the offseason, the San Diego Padres should have no shortage of teams asking for his availability. As one of the top pitchers in next year's free agent class, the Padres should get a strong return for just one year of his services on the mound.

The Padres are unlikely to make a move with their rotation until the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are over. While San Diego could be viewed as a good destination for the Japanese right-hander, they have to compete with the Dodgers and 28 other clubs to sign him next month. Once Sasaki picks a destination, interest the trade market should start to pick up for teams that missed out on the top free agents.

The Padres' primary motivation to move Cease comes down to payroll and trying to get value out of a player with expiring control. He's projected to earn $13.7 million in his final trip through arbitration before hitting the open market.

San Diego's 2025 payroll is currently projected to be $210 million by Roster Resource and their likely final number will be somewhere near their $169 million figure for 2024, so getting a strong return from a Cease deal would lower payroll while helping them stay competitive in a strong National League.

Padres Rumors: Mets interested in trading for Dylan Cease

One team that has the capital to be a major player on the trade market is the New York Mets. After signing Juan Soto to a record deal during the Winter Meetings, they're looking to add an impact starter to help anchor their rotation. They already made one notable addition in that area, signing former Yankees closer Clay Holmes to a three-year deal with the intent to convert him back into a starter.

With a pair of top-four finishes in the Cy Young voting the past three years, Cease has established himself as one of the top arms remaining on the trade market. That's the type of starter the Mets would be looking to add, and they have a plethora of young talent to make a deal.

While a potential deal could happen, the more important question to ask is should it happen. If the Padres are still optimistic about their chances of competing for National League playoff spot in 2025, sending arguably their best starter to one of their top competitors isn't the way to go about that goal. The only way the Mets would be able to pry away Cease would be to give president of baseball operations AJ Preller an offer he simply can't refuse.

What could a potential Dylan Cease tradereturn look like for Padres?

San Diego's biggest needs are the starting rotation, left field, and the bullpen, but the Mets are also short-handed with their pitching depth with two of their 2024 starters currently free agents. While they have a plethora of young, controllable players and prospects, those players don't necessarily fit the Padres' biggest needs.

One option for Preller is to focus on getting a big prospect return, then flipping them to another team that can meet their needs in a makeshift three-team deal. That's the same approach he took to land Cease from the White Sox in March. Pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, who was part of the return for Juan Soto, was sent to Chicago months later.

A return focusing on prospects would put the Padres in a good position. The Mets' top prospects include right-hander Brandon Sproat, outfielder Drew Gilbert, and infielder Jett Williams. If Preller is intent on making the Mets pay an exorbitant price for Cease, two of those three prospects have to be part of the return for San Diego. While all three of them should debut at some point in 2025, none of them are likely to be ready by Opening Day.

Another option would be a straight up three-team trade. The Mets could better leverage their prospects and young talent for a third team, who could give the Padres what they need to improve their roster. However, it is very difficult to execute a trade of that complexity.

Whatever the case, there's plentiful interest in Cease, and the Padres won't have an issue moving him if that's their end goal.