Yankees’ Rotation Plan B Crumbles? Dylan Cease Heads to San Diego Padres in 5-Player Trade

The New York Yankees pitching staff just suffered another blow. With Gerrit Cole’s elbow “discomfort” casting a shadow over their pitching goals for the postseason, acquiring an established starter was a priority. And Dylan Cease was their go-to. But only until a few hours ago. 

Reports suggest that the gate to their pursuit of the 28-year-old might be closed. Thanks to the San Diego Padres and their amassed interest in the ace. They swooped in to secure the talented right-hander-pitcher in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox.

Dylan Cease Is All Set to Move to San Diego

“BREAKING: The San Diego Padres are finalizing a trade to acquire right-hander Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox, sources tell ESPN.” Reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. This news has sent shivers down the spines of Yankees fans. Particularly knowing that they are already worried about pitching depth.

Cease, despite coming off a not-so-stellar 2023 season with a 4.58 ERA, boasts a relatively recent past that paints a far rosier picture. Barely a couple of years ago, he was a Cy Young runner-up. He had struck out a staggering 227 batters across 184 innings with a 2.20 ERA. Additionally, his ability to rack up strikeouts is unmatched, with an average of at least 214 Ks in the past three seasons. But there have been setbacks particularly with control issues and with 225 walks in that same period.

The Padres, seek to compete in a stacked NL West with the highly competitive Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and reigning champions Arizona Diamondbacks. Reports further say that the Padres are sending Drew Thrope, the No. 5 prospect, Samuel Zavala, the No. 7 prospect, and Jario Iriarte. No. 8 and the 29-year-old reliever Steven Wilson to Chicago.

Read More : Reports: Starting Pitching Desperation Hasn’t Swayed Yankees on Blackballed Trevor Bauer…Yet

How Will the Yankees Handle Their Pitching Crisis With Cease Gone?

Now, with Cease joining a formidable rotation featuring Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Michael King, and Jhony Brito, the Padres seem like they’re on to something. With that, the Yankees might have to move ahead with options such as Marcus Stroman or Carlos Rodon. Well, the hope is that Gerrit Cole recovers and makes it to the mound on Opening Day. However as Manager Aaron Boone remains unclear about when Cole returns, there’s an inherent anxiety among fans. 

Read More : As Dylan Cease Tempts Again, 3 Low-Profile But Prized Yankees Prospects Are Absolute Keepers

Boone, in one of his conversations with the press, said, “We’re leaning a certain way but, again, I still want to let all the information come in and settle. We’ll see where we’re at.” With that, the Yankees find themselves back to square one. With Cease off the table, their search for a starting pitcher continues with no updates yet. Only time can reveal the actual story.