According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, around nine teams have reached out to the Padres regarding their interest in top star. Among them are the Cubs, Mets, and all five AL East teams. The identities of the other two clubs remain uncertain, though a January report from The Athletic indicated that the Twins had previously shown interest.
Despite this, a trade before Opening Day appears unlikely. Earlier this week, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Padres would only consider moving Cease if they received a substantial offensive upgrade in return. Additionally, they would likely require a controllable starting pitcher to immediately fill Cease’s spot in the rotation. Meeting such demands is challenging, especially with few impactful hitters still available in free agency.
He was traded last year during Spring Training, but that situation was different, as the White Sox were in full rebuild mode when they sent him to San Diego. The Padres, on the other hand, plan to compete for a postseason spot despite financial constraints that limited their offseason moves, aside from signing Nick Pivetta to a backloaded four-year contract. In his first season with San Diego, Cease posted a 3.47 ERA over 189 1/3 innings, striking out 29.4% of batters and reaching the 200-strikeout mark for the fourth consecutive year.
Top star and the Padres agreed to a $13.75 million salary for his final arbitration year. If he reaches free agency next winter, he would be a strong candidate for a qualifying offer—unless he is traded midseason, which would make him ineligible for one. As he approaches his age-30 season, Cease could command a contract exceeding $200 million. While the Padres seem doubtful about their chances of re-signing him, parting with him now would significantly weaken their rotation.
Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic recently reported that the Orioles and Cubs are monitoring the pitching market. Baltimore will begin the season without Grayson Rodriguez, while Chicago’s rotation remains mostly intact, aside from a short-term injury to Javier Assad. The Cubs are also reportedly in discussions with free agent Lance Lynn, a cheaper but lower-upside alternative for the back of their rotation.
The Mets (Frankie Montas, Sean Manaea) and Yankees (Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil) have both lost multiple starters to injuries this spring. The Yankees, in particular, have been hit hard—Gil is expected to miss the first half of the season with a lat strain, while Cole will be sidelined until mid-2026 following Tommy John surgery. However, team executives David Stearns (Mets) and Brian Cashman (Yankees) have stated they are comfortable with their internal options for now.
Boston has already traded two top prospects to acquire Garrett Crochet, while Toronto and Tampa Bay each have deep rotations. The Blue Jays are likely to use Yariel Rodríguez in long relief, and the Rays could move a starter to finalize a five-man rotation. While this could put either team in a position to offer a controllable pitcher in a Cease trade, there is no indication that San Diego is actively looking to move him with Opening Day just two weeks away.