MLB’s Winter Meetings may be over, but the hot stove is still heating up, and there are bound to be more trades and free-agent signings over the coming weeks or even days.
One of the most intriguing players who could be on the move is San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease.
Per Ken Rosenthal, “Because the Padres are in this kind of weird position financially because Dylan Cease is a free agent at the end of this season, it’s something that they are at least going to explore.”
Rosenthal identified multiple teams he believed should be interested in a potential Cease trade, including the Cleveland Guardians.
“I would think the Cleveland Guardians would be interested in a trade for Dylan Cease,” he said.
Cleveland and San Diego have a long, long trade history. Typically, the Guardians organization has sent the Padres their star players in return for a package of prospects.
A hypothetical trade between the two organizations would break that trend.
Cleveland has made multiple questionable moves over the last few days, including sending Platinum Glove winner Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays.
A trade for Cease would only add to the mystery of what the front office is thinking, even though it would undeniably improve the team.
It also would be a bizarre move for the Guardians to trade for a pitcher with only one season of team control left. A player in that situation is typically a prime candidate to be traded away by Cleveland, not acquired.
That said, an Opening Day rotation of Cease, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Luis Ortiz, and Ben Lively would be the best in the American League.
