Winter of Contention: Guardians Angling for $108 Million Boast to Compete in 2025
The Cleveland Guardians are coming off an impressive campaign that saw the team come within one step of returning to the World Series for the first time since 2016.
Cleveland is still tinkering with its rotation as it prepares to build on the successes of 2024, re-signing former staff ace Shane Bieber while bidding farewell to Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd.
The Guardians have several talented young arms in the rotation to make up for the attrition until Bieber recovers from his Tommy John surgery and is healthy enough to join the rotation.
However, Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report predicts a bigger move for Cleveland: trading for San Diego Padres staff ace Dylan Cease.
After falling short of the World Series, the Padres are reportedly looking at cutting down the organization’s projected $215 million payroll for next season.
According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, one of the moves the team is considering is dealing Cease.
San Diego rescued Cease from the woebegone Chicago White Sox during Spring Training last season, dealing away four of the organization’s top prospects (Steven Wilson, Drew Thorpe, Jairo Iriarte, and Samuel Zavala) to acquire the 28-year-old hurler.
Cease finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting in 2024 after going 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA and 224 strikeouts for the Friars.
With San Diego firmly in the derby for Japanese pitching sensation Rori Sasaki, the team is “exploring” Cease’s trade value, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
A move for Cease would indicate that the Guardians are going all-in on 2025 as they look to end the organization’s 75-season championship drought.
