The New York Yankees’ offseason has largely revolved around addressing their infield needs following Gleyber Torres’ departure, but no moves have been made so far. One alternative the Yankees could explore is bolstering their rotation by trading for San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease, a player they’ve shown interest in previously. The Yankees reportedly considered acquiring Cease last winter before the Chicago White Sox traded him to the Padres.
Cease had another strong season in 2024, starting over 30 games for the fourth consecutive year and finishing with a 14-11 record, a 3.47 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and 224 strikeouts over 189 1/3 innings. Despite his importance to the Padres, trade rumors have surfaced again. FanSided’s Thomas Carannante suggests that the Yankees should pursue Cease if their efforts to upgrade the offense fall short.
Carannante proposed a potential trade package involving starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt, outfielder Everson Pereira, and infielder Jorbit Vivas. Schmidt, who posted a 2.85 ERA in 85 1/3 innings in 2024, is under team control until 2028. Pereira is ranked as the Yankees’ 11th-best prospect by MLB.com, while Vivas recorded a .713 OPS in Triple-A last season. This type of deal could provide the Padres with rotation depth and prospect capital to help offset the losses of Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar.
Cease, who will earn $13.75 million in 2025, is slated to reach free agency next offseason. Spotrac estimates his market value for a long-term deal at five years and $108 million. Adding Cease could significantly strengthen the Yankees’ rotation, giving them another ace-caliber arm for the upcoming season.
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