MLB Rumors: The Minnesota Twins have entered the Dylan Cease trade sweepstakes with the San Diego Padres
There should be a lot of suitors as the San Diego Padres are officially considering trade negotiations for Dylan Cease. The Minnesota Twins' extremely cautious offseason strategy makes it unlikely that many would anticipate them to enter this well-known sweepstakes. However, in this league-wide Cease pursuit, they are a squad to keep an eye on.
"The Twins asked about Cease when they were talking about possible trades with the San Diego Padres earlier this winter," Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports last week. "The club's interest in Cease, a free agent following the 2025 season who has placed in the top four of the Cy Young Award voting twice in the last three seasons, was confirmed by multiple team sources."
It makes sense to add more star power to the top of the starting pitching rotation because Minnesota still relies on a core group of position players, which includes Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, and Jose Miranda, who are frequently injured. The Twins might see Cease as their postseason boost after missing out on an American League Wild Card spot by four games. But he won't be inexpensive.
"The Padres may have talked about trades for Cease and fellow starting pitcher Michael King, according to increased industry talk in recent days," Hayes stated. "According to industry sources briefed on their situation, the Padres are requesting substantial major-league value in exchange for Cease in order to stay competitive, which makes a deal much less likely."
Can the Twins exploit the erratic behavior of the Padres?
The Padres struggled last offseason to balance being fiscally cautious with assembling a strong team for the 2024 MLB season. They acquired pitcher Michael King and several other prospects who may contribute right away at the major league level in exchange for Juan Soto from the New York Yankees. A.J. Preller, president of baseball operations, also purchased Dylan Cease, a fellow right-hander, from the Chicago White Sox. A spectacular comeback was made possible by those actions.
San Diego earned a postseason berth because to their strengthened starting rotation, which also gave the roster much-needed balance.
One of the most dangerous teams in the league going into October, the Friars were ready to unseat the Los Angeles Dodgers and compete for their first-ever World Series title. But in the end, they suffered a humiliating loss in the National League Division Series, and a few weeks later, they saw their hated opponent win it all. The management is currently in a difficult situation.
The Padres were greatly revitalized by the Cease and King signings, but they were not able to surpass the Dodgers. The team still fell far short of their target, but their market worth increased. After failing to acquire a title, the organization might be forced to part ways with impending contract difficulties, similar to the Soto trade.
It is unlikely that the Twins, another team that has prioritized payroll reductions in recent years, will benefit.
Nevertheless, they are in the running for one of the more gifted arms in the game right now.
Jeremy Zoll, the new general manager, might start pursuing Dylan Cease again. The 29-year-old pitched a no-hitter in July and recorded a 3.47 ERA, 224 strikeouts, and a 1.06 WHIP in 189 1/3 innings. He and Pablo Lopez, the 2023 All-Star, can make a fantastic one-two.
But Twins supporters won't hold their breath. Some trust must be restored to the organization. Cease's extension and trade might potentially do just that.
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