The San Diego Padres made several moves before the MLB trade deadline, yet they chose to keep starting pitcher Dylan Cease, who was heavily linked to potential trades. Cease is entering free agency after this season and is expected to attract a lucrative multi-year contract from teams seeking strong starting pitchers. Despite this, the Padres resisted trading him before the deadline.
Prioritizing Other Free Agents Over Cease
While Cease’s upcoming free agency made him a natural trade candidate, the Padres have other players who rank higher in their priority list for contract negotiations. Both Michael King and Luis Arraez are also set to become free agents and, according to the organization, take precedence over Cease when planning for the future roster.
GM Preller Shares Reasons for Holding onto Cease
San Diego’s president of baseball operations, A.J. Preller, shared insights into the decision to keep Cease on the roster. Acknowledging the frequent calls about Cease, Preller stated,
“You’re always going to pick up your phone when people are calling,”
emphasizing the team‘s openness to dialogue. However, he stressed the importance of Cease to the Padres’ pitching foundation.
Preller elaborated,
“But for us, our best team starts with that starting pitching. You know, getting (Yu) Darvish back, hopefully getting (Michael) King back, (Nick) Pivetta and Cease, that’s a great place to start.”
Regarding their acquisition of Cease, Preller added,
“We think we acquired some other pitchers that are going to add to that mix. … When we made the trade (for Cease) last spring training, it was designed towards multiple postseason runs. Our best team has Dylan Cease on it.”
Cease’s Role in the Padres’ Postseason Aspirations
For teams contending in the playoffs, having dependable pitching is crucial, whether through starters or bullpen arms. Cease fits this mold as a valuable asset capable of contributing to a team with postseason ambitions. Though his performance has been uneven this year, with difficulties limiting walks and hard hits, his ability to generate swings and misses remains a key strength.
When Cease can consistently control his command, he has shown the potential to be an elite starting pitcher, which supports the Padres’ desire to retain him amid their focus on October success.
Looking Ahead for San Diego
By keeping Dylan Cease, the Padres aim to maintain a pitching core that can support multiple playoff runs. Balancing their roster priorities and upcoming free agency decisions will be central as the team advances toward the postseason. The presence of Cease, along with Darvish, King, and Pivetta, positions San Diego with a solid foundation of starting pitching heading into critical games.