MLB Rumors: Chicago Cubs Eye Dylan Cease as Ace Replacement After Steele Injury
With Justin Steele shelved for the season, the Chicago Cubs are suddenly short an ace — a serious issue for a team with postseason aspirations. One name that’s quickly gained traction as a potential solution: Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres.
Cease, a flame-throwing righty and 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up, could be on the move yet again despite being only a few weeks into his Padres tenure. Welcome to the San Diego cycle: collect stars, spend big, then pivot quickly when the payroll starts to bite.
Proposed Deal
Cubs receive:
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Dylan Cease
Padres receive:
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Shota Imanaga
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Moises Ballesteros (Cubs No. 4 prospect, MLB No. 65)
On paper, this deal might raise some eyebrows. Cease is a top-tier starter in his prime. Imanaga, meanwhile, has been nothing short of dominant since arriving from Japan, sporting a 2.22 ERA this season after a stellar 2024 campaign (2.81 ERA, All-Star nod). Still, Cease has the upside — and stuff — of a rotation anchor who can go toe-to-toe with the best lineups in October.
Ballesteros, a highly regarded catching prospect, sweetens the deal with long-term value. For the Cubs, this is a win-now move that doesn't deplete their loaded farm system.
Why the Cubs Make This Deal
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Cease is from Georgia but drafted by the Cubs. A reunion story could work well.
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He’s an upgrade over Imanaga in terms of raw stuff and postseason experience.
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The Cubs’ window is cracking open, and Cease is the kind of arm that can shut down playoff-caliber opponents.
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Cease isn't just a rental — he has one year of arbitration left after 2025.
Plus, the Cubs only give up one Top 100 prospect and swap a major league starter for an arguably better one.
What’s in It for the Padres?
This one hinges on San Diego’s priorities.
If they're trying to win right now — and their 14-4 record suggests they are — moving Cease is a hard sell. He’s the anchor of their rotation, and their World Series hopes are very real.
But if financial flexibility becomes a factor, this deal gives them:
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A cheaper, nearly equal starter in Imanaga (under team control through 2027)
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A Top 100 prospect in Ballesteros, helping restock a thinned farm system
The risk: messing with a good thing while leading the league. The reward: potentially avoiding losing Cease for nothing while still staying competitive.
The Verdict
This trade feels like it would be more likely if the Padres fall off pace later in the season. Right now, trading Cease while leading the NL seems counterintuitive — unless ownership insists on trimming payroll or Cease’s price tag is just too high to stomach.
But if you're the Cubs? You should be pushing hard for a deal like this. Cease gives them a dominant one-two punch with Jameson Taillon (and later, Jordan Wicks or Cade Horton), without gutting their future.
Hot take: If the Cubs can't land Alcantara, Cease is Plan B — and maybe even Plan A if he's truly available.
What do you think — should the Cubs part with Imanaga in a win-now swap, or is it too steep a price?
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