The Giants would surely love to see their wild-card competition trade from their MLB roster.
The San Diego Padres are listening to offers for ace right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease, according to a report by Buster Olney of ESPN. The San Francisco Giants division-rival is not looking to sell at the MLB trade deadline, per the report, but rather is open to using Cease as a trade chip to upgrade other aspects of the roster. Still, it suggests that San Diego’s front office could be limited by some combination of a weak farm system and ownership forced payroll limitations.
If the regular-season ended today, the Padres would make the playoffs as the final National League Wild-Card team. The Giants trail San Diego by 1.5 games in the standings. The Padres have consistently depleted their farm system with aggressive trades by president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, leaving them with limited depth to trade from at the deadline. Combine that with an ownership group that has been less willing to spend since Peter Seidler’s death in 2023, and it becomes easier to see why Cease (and his expiring $13.75 million salary) could be an option.
The Padres acquired Cease in a blockbuster deal with the White Sox prior to the 2023 season. Since joining the team, Cease has recorded a 3.90 ERA (3.24 FIP) with 363 strikeouts and 104 walks in 298 innings pitched. While his 3-9 win-loss record and 4.64 ERA in 20 starts this season could be a red flag, his peripheral numbers (139 strikeouts and 39 walks in 108.2 innings pitched) and other advanced metrics (3.49 FIP, 3.37 xFIP, and 3.48 xERA) suggest he’s simply been unlucky.
It’s unclear exactly how the Padres would use a Cease deal to maneuver at the deadline. It’s possible that he could be a part of a three-team deal, going to another contender that sends prospects to a third-team that then sends an immediate contributor back to the Padres. However, it’s hard to imagine San Diego actually improving this season in that scenario. At best, they could possibly try to turn Cease into a cheaper more controllable piece long term.
As the Giants discuss their own deadline strategy internally, it’s worth noting that one of their top competitors appears limited in their ability to make a big splash without parting with significant pieces of their current roster. Will that make Buster Posey and co. more aggressive? Only time will tell.