The Boston Red Sox have been upgrading their roster entering the 2025 season, and they have their eyes on a Cy Young contender for a possible trade.
MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam reported on Sunday that the Red Sox have shown interest in pitcher Dylan Cease. Cease began his career pitching with the Chicago White Sox from 2019-2023. The San Diego Padres acquired him in a trade prior to last season, and he had a standout year.
Cease went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA and had 224 strikeouts in 189.1 innings last season. He finished 4th in NL Cy Young Award voting.
Cease’s best season came in 2022 when he went 14-8 for the White Sox with a 2.20 ERA and 227 strikeouts over 184 innings. He finished 2nd in AL Cy Young Award voting that year.
The 29-year-old ace is extremely durable and has made at least 32 starts in each of the past four seasons.
Will the Red Sox actually be able to acquire Cease? Their inquiry with San Diego was described by McAdam as more of due diligence than an aggressive pursuit.
Cease is set to make $13.75 million this season in what is his final year under team control. He is set to become a free agent in 2026. Given his upcoming free agency status, Cease could be an in-season trade target for teams if the Padres fall out of contention.
Boston has already signed Walker Buehler and acquired Garrett Crochet this offseason to bolster a rotation that also includes Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck and Cutter Crawford. Cease would fit in as a nice addition to pretty much any team’s rotation. The Red Sox are not the only team that has shown interest in Cease.
