What the Padres' decision to keep Dylan Cease says about their playoff plans

At the 2025 MLB trade deadline, two things did not happen for San Diego, but one of them is exactly what Padres fans wanted. San Diego fans wished that their team would have acquired Jarren Duran from the Boston Red Sox, but that wound up not happening. No big deal.

The one thing that remained stagnant was Dylan Cease getting traded. The right-hander had been tied to tons of trading rumors since the offseason, but AJ Preller and his front office staff ultimately decided to keep him on the team for the rest of the 2025 season. Preller believes the best version of the 2025 Padres includes Cease on the roster, and he's not the only one who thinks so.

So what does Cease staying with the Friars mean in terms of the franchise's postseason plans this year? Well, it's certainly a good thing for Padres fans, who have hope of a deep run in October, and this time around, it's not just a pipe dream.

Padres holding on to Dylan Cease signals faith in club finally being in win-now mode

Preller has traded several top prospects over the last several years in return for rentals. This was all in hopes of San Diego winning a World Series, which has obviously not happened yet. Maybe, there is a genuine belief that this is the year the Padres can hoist a championship trophy, so keeping Cease put made the most sense. Although Cease has not been his usual self all year long, having him in the rotation inarguably gives them a better shot of winning.

Cease also quickly proved Preller correct by firing five scoreless innings with one hit allowed in his first start post-trade deadline. That's a great first re-impression for the Cease non-believers, and hopefully he can continue his reign as an elite second-half pitcher, which would then bleed into the playoffs.

Plus, with Michael King set to return to the mound after missing a few months with an injury, San Diego suddenly has a strong one-two duo at the top of the rotation. Playoff baseball is all about pitching, so right now is the perfect time for Cease and King to catalyze a postseason push.