The New York Yankees have already made moves to strengthen their rotation, but one trade proposal could add another standout arm to the mix.
FanSided MLB analyst Thomas Carannante suggested a potential deal in which the Yankees would acquire Dylan Cease from the San Diego Padres in a four-player trade.
Yankees would receive:
- Dylan Cease
Padres would receive:
- Clarke Schmidt
- Everson Pereira
- Jorbit Vivas
This proposed blockbuster deal would send Cease to the Yankees in exchange for an MLB-ready pitcher and two prospects. Cease, who avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $13.75 million deal for 2025, is entering the final year of his contract. He’s expected to sign a five-year, $108 million deal, according to Spotrac. In 2024, Cease posted a 14-11 record with a 3.47 ERA in 33 starts for the Padres.
In return, the Yankees would send Schmidt, who could step into Cease’s spot in the Padres’ rotation. Schmidt is set to earn $3.6 million and has two more years of club control after 2025. He went 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts for the Yankees last season.
Pereira, ranked 10th among the Yankees’ prospects, spent 2024 in Triple-A, hitting .265 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs. Vivas, ranked 17th, was acquired by New York in 2023 after being signed by the Dodgers in 2017. He’s expected to compete for an MLB roster spot during spring training.
Analyst’s Take on the Yankees-Padres Trade
Cease’s name has appeared in trade rumors, and it’s expected that he’ll be dealt. Carannante believes the Padres won’t get a major return for Cease, given he’s in the final year of his contract and isn’t likely to sign an extension, as he reportedly aims to test free agency.
“Cease is a rental and isn’t an extension candidate due to his reported desire to hit free agency,” Carannante wrote. “The Yankees wouldn’t have to give up much, and it would give them financial flexibility next offseason with another deal coming off the books.”
Carannante also pointed out that the Yankees could offer Schmidt, Pereira, and Vivas—or a variation of that package—to help the Padres replenish their rotation and gain prospect value for their infield/outfield after losing Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar.
With Cease in the mix, the Yankees’ rotation would be stacked with Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Cease, and Luis Gil, while Marcus Stroman could be traded.
Since Schmidt isn’t as necessary for the Yankees, he could become a key piece for San Diego in replacing Cease.
Cease Likely to Be Traded
The Padres have yet to sign a player to an MLB contract this offseason as they focus on clearing salary. According to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes and Dennis Lin, rival executives believe the Padres will deal Cease soon.
“The Padres, who still have multiple needs after missing out on a potential ace in Roki Sasaki, are currently projected to be over the luxury tax threshold,” the report stated. “The Padres would like to keep Cease, but some rival officials believe president of baseball operations A.J. Preller ultimately will have little choice but to move the pending free agent and his $13.75 million salary.”
San Diego acquired Cease from the Chicago White Sox in March 2024.
