MLB Trade Rumors: Padres' Michael King 'Far Less Likely' to Be Moved Than Dylan Cease
The San Diego Padres could be sticking with Michael King regardless of whether they sign free-agent starter Nick Pivetta.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, King "is far less likely to be dealt" than fellow right-hander Dylan Cease.
The Padres have also "listened to offers" for closer Robert Suárez, according to Passan. Suárez is under contract for $10 million next season but could opt out of his deal ahead of the 2026 season.
Passan noted that relief pitcher Jason Adam, whom the Padres acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays last season, could take on a closing role if Suarez is moved.
Cease is similarly at risk of hitting the market next offseason after inking a one-year, $13.75 million deal to avoid arbitration with the Padres in January.
King avoided arbitration last month by signing a one-year deal with $7.75 million guaranteed and a mutual option for 2026.
Despite previous reports that the Padres were shopping King's contract, the flexibility of that deal potentially makes him a better fit on the payroll. The Padres are looking to spend more than last season while still cutting payroll this winter, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Brought to San Diego as part of the trade for Juan Soto ahead of the 2024 season, King transitioned into a full-time starting role last season with the Padres.
He finished the season with a 2.95 ERA in 173.2 innings pitched, and the Padres turned to him twice in their seven-game postseason run before an NLDS elimination by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cease, who is now three years removed from the 2022 campaign with the Chicago White Sox that made him runner-up to Justin Verlander for the AL Cy Young Award, finished the 2024 season with a 3.47 ERA in 189.1 innings and one of the heaviest workloads in MLB.
Even though he's on an expiring contract, his talent should make him an attractive trade option for teams in need of a short-term rotation boost. The Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins are among the teams interested, per MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and The Athletic's Dan Hayes and Dennis Lin.
The Padres could pursue Pivetta, although signing him will give the Boston Red Sox a compensatory draft pick after he declined their one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer last fall. The Pads might have an easier time fitting the raise Pivetta is seeking into the payroll if they're able to move out some salary, such as Cease's contract, this winter.
MLB Rumors: Dylan Cease Trade Discussed By Padres, Mets amid Cubs Links
The San Diego Padres and New York Mets have reportedly discussed a trade involving starting pitcher Dylan Cease.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets have "been trying" to acquire Cease from the Padres. The Chicago Cubs are also involved, but there's a belief that San Diego "may prefer" New York's trade package instead (via Heyman).
Cease and the Padres avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $13.75 million contract for the 2025 season on Jan. 9.
It marked the 29-year-old's final arbitration-eligible year, meaning that he's now set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season.
Cease has seemingly been on the trade market throughout the offseason, with MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reporting that he was among the starting pitchers "potentially available" for trade on Dec. 9.
The Mets and Cubs aren't the only teams vying for Cease, though. Jon Morosi of MLB Network previously reported that the Boston Red Sox were also interested in the right-hander.
Heyman noted on Thursday that the Padres might be enticed by New York's prospect list, which includes pitcher Brandon Sproat, shortstop Jett Williams and infielder Luisangel Acuña. Sproat and Williams ranked No. 46 and No. 58 on MLB.com's list of the top 100 prospects for 2025, respectively.
Cease spent the first five seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox before he was traded to San Diego in March 2024.
He was a key piece of the Padres' rotation following the move, finishing with a 14-11 record to go along with a 3.47 ERA and 1.067 WHIP during the 2024 season. He struck out 224 batters in 189.1 innings of work, earning the fourth-most National League Cy Young Award votes.
As the Mets look to build upon their NLCS appearance in 2024, they're reportedly discussing a deal with the Padres involving Cease.
MLB Trade Rumors: Cubs Among 'Teams to Watch' for Dylan Cease amid Padres Talks
Even though the San Diego Padres already have Dylan Cease under contract for 2025 after the two sides avoided arbitration, the veteran right-hander is a hot topic in trade talks with spring training on the horizon.
Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi (starts at :45 mark), the Chicago Cubs were cited as a team to watch in the Cease market because of the depth of high-end talent in their farm system that is in the upper-levels of the minors right now.
Cease agreed to a $13.75 million contract with the Padres on Jan. 9. He will be eligible for free agency after the 2025 season, which is one reason San Diego is at least exploring his value right now.
Another reason, as Morosi pointed out, is the Padres are "bumping up against" their payroll limit being imposed by ownership. It's unclear exactly what the figure is, but their current payroll for the upcoming season sits at $197.5 million.
By comparison, the Padres ran a $170.9 million payroll in 2024. There is also an ongoing dispute about control of the franchise in the wake of Peter Seidler's death in November 2023.
Sheel Seidler, Peter's widow, filed a lawsuit earlier this month against two of her late husband's brothers to become the control person for the Padres. The lawsuit accuses Robert and Matthew Seidler of "fiduciary breaches of trust, fraud, conversion and egregious acts of self-dealing" in their roles as trustees and executors of Peter's estate.
Even though the Cubs haven't been playing in the deep end of the free-agent pool this offseason, their front office has kept busy by making trades. Most of their moves so far have been with the Houston Astros, landing Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly in separate trades.
Playing for the Cubs would be something of a full-circle moment for Cease. He was originally drafted by the club in 2014 before being dealt to the Chicago White Sox three years later in a midseason trade as part of a package for José Quintana.
Cease has been an inconsistent player since making his MLB debut in 2019, but his ceiling is as high as any pitcher in the big leagues. He has two top-five finishes in Cy Young voting in the past three years, including a second-place showing in 2022.
The Padres acquired Cease from the White Sox in March 2024. He posted a 3.47 ERA with 224 strikeouts in 189.1 innings last season. His durability is also a huge asset, as he leads all pitchers with 130 starts since 2021.
Adding Cease would give the Cubs a proven frontline starter to pair with Shōta Imanaga as they look to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
San Diego's pitching depth isn't as strong going into 2025 with Joe Musgrove out for the year after having Tommy John surgery in October. Trading Cease would create even more problems for the rotation, leaving Michael King and Yu Darvish as the only reliable options.
While that would be a dilemma for the big-league club, trading Cease would allow the Padres to restock a farm system that The Athletic's Keith Law ranked as the sixth-worst in MLB going into this season.
Report: Dylan Cease, Padres Agree to $13.75M Contract amid MLB Trade Rumors
The San Diego Padres and starting pitcher Dylan Cease avoided arbitration Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $13.75 million contract for 2025, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
This marked Cease's final arbitration-eligible year, as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Despite the settlement, there is no guarantee that Cease will be wearing a Padres uniform when the 2025 campaign begins.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported last month that Cease was among the starting pitchers "potentially available" in a trade, and it was also reported by MLB Network's Jon Morosi that the Boston Red Sox were among the teams interested in acquiring Cease.
After spending his first five MLB seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Cease was traded to San Diego last offseason for a package of prospects.
Cease, 29, enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career after the trade, going 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 224 strikeouts over 189.1 innings, while also throwing his first career no-hitter.
Although Cease was denied his first career All-Star selection, he finished fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting. He finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting just two years earlier when he went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and 227 strikeouts.
As good as Cease was during the 2024 regular season, he struggled mightily during the playoffs, going 0-1 with a 14.40 ERA in two starts.
Even so, Cease is positioned to be a key part of San Diego's rotation in 2025 along with Michael King and Yu Darvish if he isn't traded.
Although the Padres have reached the playoffs in three of the past five seasons and made it all the way to the National League Championship Series in 2022, it is difficult to say what their intentions are for next season.
The Padres traded superstar outfielder Juan Soto and allowed ace starting pitcher Blake Snell to leave in free agency last offseason, and so far this offseason they lost catcher Kyle Higashioka in free agency, while reliever Tanner Scott and outfielder Jurickson Profar remain free agents.
San Diego has done little to add to the roster aside from executing some minor league contracts, so it remains to be seen what the plan is.
Of course, the Padres have a strong top three in their rotation and a lineup headlined by Fernando Tatís Jr., Jackson, Merrill, Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts and Luis Arráez, so they have a chance to contend even if they stand pat.
However, if they don't believe they have a chance to re-sign Cease before he hits free agency next offseason, it may be wise to get something in return for him now while he is healthy and holds significant value.
MLB Rumors: Dylan Cease Trade Interests Red Sox After Max Fried's Yankees Contract
The Boston Red Sox are interested in trading for San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network, who provided further context on that note:
Soon after Morosi's post, the Yankees reportedly agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract with former Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Red Sox were readying an offer to ex-Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes as of Tuesday afternoon, per Sean McAdam of Mass Live.
But if Burnes heads elsewhere, then attention will reportedly go to Cease.
Cease, who turns 29 years old on Dec. 28, has pitched six MLB seasons (five with the Chicago White Sox, one with San Diego).
Last year, Cease finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting. He went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA (1.07 WHIP), striking out 224 batters over 189.1 innings (33 starts). Cease has struck out at least 214 batters in each of his last four seasons.
He's under team control for one more season before becoming eligible for free agency in 2026.
However, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com mentioned Cease as a pitcher "potentially available" on the trade market this year, alongside some other names.
Morosi ballparked the odds of a Cease trade.
The Cease-Red Sox connection could be all for naught if the Sox land Burnes, of course. McAdam said that Burnes has also been "linked" to the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants and other teams. He also noted Burnes "could sign rather quickly with Fried off the board."
So we may see some movement soon here as teams quickly make their moves on acquiring high-quality starting pitchers.
Video: Dylan Cease Says He Lobbied Padres to Stay in vs. Nationals Before No-Hitter
After throwing a no-hitter on Thursday, San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease said he had to lobby for his coaching staff to keep him in the game after the seventh inning.
"He [manager Mike Shildt] said, 'Nice job,' and I looked up and it was like 94 pitches and I just said I feel great," Cease said. "If we get through the next one at like 105, I've thrown 113 pitches this year. Thankfully they let me talk him into it, and here we are."
Cease was electric in the Padres' 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals, mowing down batters one after the other to finish with nine strikeouts and three walks on a career-high 114 pitches. As he said, Cease is no stranger to working with a high-pitch count, going well over 100 pitches multiple times this season.
Cease's performance on Thursday marked just the second no-hitter of the season, the first coming in April when Ronel Blanco pitched a no-no against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Cease is also just the second Padres pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter, the other being Joe Musgrove in 2021. Cease almost had a no-hitter while playing for the Chicago White Sox in 2022, but Luis Arraez, now his teammate on the Padres, hit a single to spoil his bid.
With Thursday's effort, Cease now has 168 strikeouts, a 3.50 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP on his way to a 10-8 record. His performance also helped San Diego continue a strong start to the second half of the season, giving the Padres their fifth win in a row.
The Padres are 55-50 on the year, sitting in second place in the NL West and looking to continue their momentum following Cease's big day.
Dylan Cease Throws 2nd No-Hitter of 2024 MLB Season as Fans Celebrate Padres Star
Welcome to the history books, Dylan Cease.
The right-hander threw the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres franchise history and led his team to a 3-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday. He struck out nine and walked three in the dominant performance.
It was just the second no-hitter of the season after Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw one against the Toronto Blue Jays in April.
Cease's outing led to plenty of reaction on social media:
Retiring CJ Abrams for the final out was probably quite the relief for Cease, who came painfully close to recording a no-hitter in 2022 when he was a member of the Chicago White Sox. Luis Arráez, who is now teammates with the pitcher on the Padres, hit a single for the Minnesota Twins when Cease was one out away from a no-hitter in that outing.
The 28-year-old now has a no-hitter to go with his near-miss.
He joined Joe Musgrove (April 2021) as the only Padres pitcher to record one even though he and the rest of his teammates needed to wait through a rain delay of more than an hour before Thursday's game even started.
Every no-hitter seemingly always features an excellent defensive play or moment when there's some drama, and Thursday's came in the fifth inning.
Xander Bogaerts got his glove on a looping hit from Juan Yepez but was unable to pull it in for a catch. Fortunately for the Padres and Cease, Jackson Merrill was in the right place at the right time to preserve the no-hitter:
This was anything but a fluke performance, though.
Cease has been absolutely dominant of late, as ESPN's Jeff Passan highlighted:
San Diego will need him to continue pitching at an excellent level if it is going to play well into October. It is just a half-game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals for the final spot in a crowded National League wild-card race.
Should the Padres reach the postseason, they will likely hand the ball to Cease as often as possible.
MLB Rumors: Yankees 'Refused' to Trade Spencer Jones for Dylan Cease or Corbin Burnes
Considering all of the questions about the New York Yankees' pitching staff right now, it says a lot about how highly they value Spencer Jones that he wasn't traded for a frontline starter during the offseason.
Per ESPN's Jorge Castillo, the Yankees "refused" to include Jones in their trade offers to the Chicago White Sox for Dylan Cease.
This comes after Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network previously reported Jones was believed to be the "key prospect" in talks between the Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers about Corbin Burnes.
Burnes wound up being traded to the Baltimore Orioles for DL Hall, Joey Ortiz and the No. 34 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft. Cease was dealt to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday for Drew Thorpe, Samuel Zavala, Jairo Irarte and Steven Wilson.
The Yankees did get some good news regarding Gerrit Cole's elbow injury. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported on Friday the reigning AL Cy Young winner doesn't need Tommy John surgery at this point, but he will likely miss 10 to 12 weeks.
Losing Cole for potentially up to three months leaves New York with a rotation of Nestor Cortes Jr., Marcus Stroman, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and Clayton Beeter to start the regular season.
While there is optimism about Jones' potential, he's not considered a superstar prospect at this point. B/R's Joel Reuter has him among the 50 honorable mentions outside of the top-100 prospects going into the 2024 season.
By comparison, Thorpe, Zavala and Irarte are all ranked in the top 100 right now. They are in the bottom 20 of that group, but the White Sox still managed to get three top-100 prospects for Cease.
It's not hard to look at Jones' physical profile and draw a comparison to Aaron Judge. He's listed at 6'6" and 235 pounds. His frame and long limbs lead to a lot of strikeouts (155 in 480 at-bats in the minors last season).
Jones hasn't shown the prodigious power in his minor-league career that Judge possessed. The 22-year-old has a .459 slugging percentage in 142 games in the minors over the past two seasons.
One thing Jones' size does help him do is run. He's not a blazer out of the box or on the bases, but his long strides allow him to cover a lot of ground. He stole 43 bases during the 2023 season and has the ability to play centerfield in the big leagues.