The challenges are getting wider for the San Diego Padres with time! If poaching of their key players was not enough, they are now facing the challenge of trading their best performers. The spring season is around the corner and fans are still wondering about how the Padres can fill their pending gaps. The Padres are reportedly looking to trade their star pitcher Dylan Cease to free up his pending salary of $13.75 million but hurdles are yet from over. 

It is getting difficult for the Padres to get the best out of trading Cease. The Mets, Twins, and Cubs are primarily connected with Cease’s trading but it is unlikely that they will agree to trade their best for him. The Padres are yet to make a mark this offseason and with no fund freeing up due to Cease’s roadblock, their uncertainty is just taking a worse turn. So why the Padres are desperate to trade their best performer? How they are moving to keep up with their rivals?

Dylan Cease: A white elephant for the Padres

Dylan Cease is increasingly becoming a white elephant for the Padres. Cease is now in his last year of contract with the Padres before hitting free agency, he owes $13.75 million, which seems difficult to pour for the Padres. For the unversed, the Padres are going through ownership turmoil and they are slapped with a payroll cap this year. With this cap in place, the San Diego Padres are in no position to get the best for their team, rather they are trying to fetch some low-cost alternatives to fill the pending gaps. Trading their prized possession to free up $13.75 million is the best option available to them. Are any teams willing to take Cease?

The Mets, Twins, and Cubs are in contention for Cease but they are yet to offer someone effective for the Padres. Well, the Padres are expecting a few top prospects for Cease trading, which seems to have created the roadblock here. The Twins are unwilling to offer their top prospects like Walker Jenkins and Luke Keaschall for Cease, rather they are about to offer any big leaguer. For the Padres, expecting a good return for trading someone like Cease who came up with a 14-11 record and 3.47 CRA last year is viable, until the fact that no teams are desperate to get Cease and it is the Padres’ desperation to move away from him. 

Struggle to keep pace with the rivals

Amid their ownership issue, the Padres are not in a position to make the most this offseason and the Dodgers crippled them further. Well, first it was Blake Snell, and then Tanner Scott, the two prized assets of the Padres ended up with the Dodgers. The Dodgers with their outrageous offerings, bigger branding, and stable ownership seem like a better value compared to the San Diego Padres and there’s no doubt about it. What made things worse for the Padres was their star outfielder Jurickson Profar deserting them. Profar went to the Braves leaving his former team gasping a sorted lineup. 

The Padres did try to make something out of this offseason, getting veteran catcher Martin Maldonado who is 38 now and well over his prime. Tyler Wade is retained, which is still not enough due to their lack of depth in the rotation. The only viable solution from here is to trade away Cease for a few low-cost replacements to fill up the rotation. This will surely not be enough to contend with teams like the Dodgers but the Padres can buy some sweet time to sort out their internal issues and a future buildup is possible. 

The Padres are now in a narrowed window of opportunity and things are getting worse only. Fans can only hope for their revival and it is just about time that they make a bigger comeback albeit difficult to do so. 

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