Padres rumors: San Diego eyeing replacement as Dylan Cease trade feels inevitable

With Dylan Cease on the trade block, the Padres are reportedly eyeing Sandy Alcantara as a possible replacement ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
San Diego Padres v Miami Marlins
San Diego Padres v Miami Marlins | Carmen Mandato/GettyImages

With the MLB trade deadline days away, the San Diego Padres appear to be shifting into high gear, and Dylan Cease might be the biggest piece in motion. The Padres have made it no secret that they’re open to moving their ace, and while traction on a deal hasn’t hit full steam just yet, that could change in a hurry before the July 31 deadline.

Cease has been on the radar of multiple teams since the offseason, when his value was near its peak. But a rocky 2025 campaign has cooled the buzz surrounding him. The right-hander owns a 3-10 record with a 4.59 ERA across 21 starts, a far cry from the 3.47 ERA he posted just a season ago. Still, in a market starving for impact arms, Cease remains a potential difference-maker.

Now, with San Diego’s front office actively fielding offers, the question becomes less if Cease will be moved and more when, and who might take his place.

As Dylan Cease draws trade interest, Padres quietly scout his replacement

According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Padres may have already scouted a potential replacement. And interestingly enough, they didn’t have to go far to find him.

“If something happens soon, [Sandy] Alcantara might not have to go far in a figurative sense. The Padres’ greatest immediate need remains offense, but president of baseball operations A.J. Preller also is exploring the pitching market — both starters and relievers and, in particular, club-controlled pitching,” Lin reported.

He also notes that while Preller remains focused on adding offense, the club is balancing the books and looking at ways to shed payroll, something a Cease trade could help facilitate.

On the surface, Sandy Alcantara doesn’t look like the splashy replacement Padres fans would hope for. He’s slogged through a brutal 2025 campaign, posting a 5-9 record and a 6.66 ERA across 20 starts. But the former NL Cy Young winner still possesses elite velocity, durability, and swing-and-miss stuff that makes him a high-upside reclamation project, especially if Miami is willing to offload some of the remaining money tied to him.

Despite the eye-popping ERA, Alcantara’s underlying tools remain intact. His struggles may be more about situation than talent, and in a new environment, the Padres could believe they have the infrastructure to help him bounce back.

For the Padres, the deadline is shaping up to be a balancing act. Retooling on the fly without tearing things down. If Cease is moved, expect a chain reaction of moves to follow. And if San Diego can extract both short-term assets and longer-term pitching control from this scenario, they might just come out ahead.

Whether it’s Alcantara or another name, it’s clear the Padres are bracing for a future without Dylan Cease.

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